or his statement implied that the war is not a static thing. also actual military planning is different than saying whether a war is justifiable or not before the fact.
5/16/2008 6:26:55 PM
sarijoul,If war is not static, why is Obama setting hard deadlines for withdrawal and even promicing how long that withdrawal will take? Obama has not given voice to the "nuance" of his position in any single speech. Indeed, as TNR points out, he and his staff continually want to simplify the public perception of his position to be "he's the guy that will get us out of Iraq." Is he purposely mis-leading people when he does this? If not, why doesn't he simply say that war is not static and that he can't set a date on when we will be out of Iraq? He has had plenty of chances to do so.Stein,
5/16/2008 6:46:48 PM
Obama could have shown some nuance during the Philly debates when he was asked if his pledge to bring the troops home in 16 months was "rock-hard". He did not. He and his campaign manager have made it clear. They want you to believe that we will be out in 16 months. Way to keep your mind open.
5/16/2008 6:54:54 PM
i'm okay with not having permanent bases in Iraq.Not in the next 4 years, but that depends on what Iraq looks like by then.
5/16/2008 7:11:22 PM
Went right over your head didn't it Mr Frog?
5/16/2008 7:37:24 PM
5/17/2008 3:13:59 AM
Unless someone was keeping this knowledge from him, being uninformed was a willful act.And yet he still felt it appropriate to comment frequently on Iraq. So I guess he was uninformed and just didn't give a shit. Maybe we can HOPE he will be a better President than he was a Senator. Isn't that his slogan or something?[Edited on May 17, 2008 at 3:31 AM. Reason : ``]
5/17/2008 3:26:13 AM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C5O4ZGbWKaM
5/17/2008 4:05:10 AM
5/18/2008 4:38:45 PM
^ Fail.
5/19/2008 5:27:22 AM
Obama's 6 Positions on Iraq (this is just so I can have all my links in one post)1) We should Stay In Iraq. 2004: Obama says US forces should remain in Iraq and that “there is not much difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage.”http://mediamatters.org/items/2008011400022) We Should Leave Iraq Immediatley.2008: "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months." http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/3) Congress should not set time-tables for withdrawal.2006: "But I do not believe that setting a date certain for the total withdrawal of U.S. troops is the best approach to achieving, in a methodical and responsible way, the three basic goals that should drive our Iraq policy". http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060621-floor_statement_6/4) Congress should set time-tables for withdrawal.2007: "That is why today, I'm introducing the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007. This plan would not only place a cap on the number of troops in Iraq and stop the escalation, more importantly, it would begin a phased redeployment of U.S. forces with the goal of removing of all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by March 31st, 2008."http://obama.senate.gov/speech/070130-floor_statement_8/ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/13/us/politics/13obama.html?ref=politics5) Withdrawal from Iraq should be flexible, without a "hard" deadline.2006: "A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy."http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060621-floor_statement_6/2007: Under the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007, "withdrawal could be temporarily suspended if the Iraqi government meets a series of benchmarks laid out by the Bush administration."http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001586.html6) Withdrawal from Iraq should be inflexiable and focus on a "hard" withdrawal date. 2008:
5/19/2008 8:58:13 AM
^ Ha-ha! Excellent! I think voters are finally going to discover that--despite all the heady slogans--Obama is just another politician.Flip-flop? YES WE CAN!
5/19/2008 9:09:51 AM
good summary socks. I didnt know that.Oh and for you obama supporters who constantly bitch about Bush and republican "fear monggering" but then give obama a pass when he tells seniors that McCain will mess with thier SS. Dems pull that shit every election cycle.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 9:44 AM. Reason : .]
5/19/2008 9:24:35 AM
Thanks guys. I wrote a cleaned up version and sent it off to a couple of friends of mine that love to forward political shit. I'm hoping it goes viral. Stupdier things have found a wider audeince. Though I'm less concerned with flip-flopping than I am with the prospect of a President who sets his foreign policy goals on opinion polls. PS* eyebrd, I agree. Dems bitch about "fear mongerring" from the Republicans, but they have been beating the drum that McCain will invade Iran (remember he made a bad joke!), slash SS and Medicare (he didn't actually say it, but he maybe he could have!), then launch a suprise attack on the USSR (get it? cause he's so old!!!).Really, it's the same kinda stuff I complained about the Republicans doing to John Kerry in 2004 and John McCain and Al Gore in 2000. The Dems have learned the lessons of Karl Rove and Lee Atwater too well. Now I am left without a party. It's sad.
5/19/2008 9:55:28 AM
so how's his preacher doing these days.
5/19/2008 11:00:58 AM
Good article comparing Obama and Clinton's 2007 senate records - specifically the bills they introduced/passed. Didn't have time to go through all the links to verify the author's assertions, but an interesting read nonetheless:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633Basically the 2007 senate records suggest that Obama, not Clinton, was better at getting bills introduced, co-sponsored, and passed. It also shows that a considerable number of bills introduced by Clinton, most noteably on healthcare, were not only defeated... they were also lacking any co-sponsors.
5/19/2008 12:22:55 PM
5/19/2008 1:03:58 PM
Wow, look at all those white people. At least Oregon is not racist.
5/19/2008 1:05:23 PM
^^^ Welcome to 3 months ago brother. We already went through an extended discussion of this back on page 7 or 8. And as I pointed out then, Obama has actually only introduced 3 bills that passed the Senate. Here they are:
5/19/2008 1:07:44 PM
other mushy attributes: he doesn't treat voters like they're retards. (eg: gas tax holiday)and as far as bills go. let's see a list of ALL the bills passed by the senate in those years. it's not that many. the wonders of the filibuster have kept most (substantive) bills from ever going to a vote.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:10 PM. Reason : subst.]
5/19/2008 1:09:14 PM
^ Wait. So Obama can ONLY get a bill passed if there are no Republicans to object??? What about that mushy "uniting" power he has?
5/19/2008 1:14:02 PM
i'm saying hardly anyone has been able to get bills passed in the past couple years.AND it's easier to dictate conversation from the bully pulpit than as a senator
5/19/2008 1:14:37 PM
Like I said. Obama claims to be a uniter that will work across the aisle to get things done. Are you saying that he hasn't been successful in that respect as a Senator?
5/19/2008 1:16:03 PM
Id really wish he would pass around a collection plate to those morons instead of proposing to TAKE my money without my permission.
5/19/2008 1:16:36 PM
^^sure. if that'll get the GOTCHA that you so desperately seem to need, then congratulations.^last time i checked, we're in a representative democracy.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:18 PM. Reason : .]
5/19/2008 1:17:34 PM
Hey. It's not a matter of "gotcha", I'm just pointing out how empty the arguments for Obama are. Obama claims he will work across the aisle to get things done, but if you look at his record, he's actually not been very bi-partisan at all. And that is the case of his record going all the way back to IL.On experience, Obama fails. On legislative accomplishments, Obama fails. On policies, Obama fails. If he wasn't so damn fun to listen too, he would never have gotten this far. Welcome to the MTV generation's answer to JFK. Saints preserve us.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:23 PM. Reason : ``]
5/19/2008 1:21:43 PM
I'm white, I make money, and have a brain. I guess that naturally excludes me from Obamas support group.
5/19/2008 1:22:40 PM
(hey guys I IMPLIED THAT OBAMA SUPPORTERS ARE STUPID HARHARHAH)
5/19/2008 1:24:40 PM
5/19/2008 1:28:45 PM
the difference is that the republican party (at least was) far more unified in their filibustering efforts. i give them credit for that. i think it will come back to them come november though.
5/19/2008 1:30:55 PM
in conclusion, anybody thinking the republican congress was bad, should take a step back and realize what a piece of shit this liberal congress has been.the economy is starting to tank and they are letting it happen in order to get votes in november. any schmuk can see right through it though. so i'm not worried.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:32 PM. Reason : .]
5/19/2008 1:31:58 PM
The difference...for what? Whether filibusters are good or bad?
5/19/2008 1:32:06 PM
between the D efforts when they were the minority and the R efforts these days.
5/19/2008 1:33:50 PM
5/19/2008 1:35:18 PM
NOT A CULT OF PERSONALITY!
5/19/2008 1:37:38 PM
5/19/2008 1:38:44 PM
OMG POPULAR POLITICIAN PULL OUT HITLER AND MANSON COMPARISONS
5/19/2008 1:38:57 PM
yes i am pro free market. but if congress has the ability to get up to the pulpit every day of the week and bitch about drilling for oil more to scare the shit out of OPEC to lower their prices from their biggest customer in the world.... they better damn well start bitching about drilling.all they have to do is mention the word "drill". not even implement. and gas/food/services prices will plummet.are they talking about that? no. they are trying to scare us into voting for the democrats again so we can have a magical green environment and polar bears roaming free again.wtf. get serious
5/19/2008 1:42:41 PM
Drilling for more oil is neither a short term fix nor a long term fix so your point doesn't really make much sense.Instead of passing laws that increase fuel standards we should get laws pass that increase the number of cars that don't use gasoline and instead use something that is renewable (or at least something like electricity which can come from multiple sources).You're such a negative nancy, Rat! Be proactive for once.
5/19/2008 1:47:34 PM
^ moron,Yes, I said that legislative accomplishments are the only metric for choosing a President. That's exactly what I said...in not so many words. Or those words at all actually. I also contradicted earilier posts in this very thread where I said there is more to being President than how many bills you pass. Way to Win! Like I actually said in the original post, Obama fails on all the major qualities you can argue about with facts and figures. My personal biggest grip is that his policies are crap. The only economic policy "proposal" he has had that's gotten wide support from economists was opposing the gas tax holiday (though even they admit it was more symbolic than anything). Let's see how they feel about renegotiating NAFTA, taxing "windfall" profits of oil comapnies, his health care plan, etc. And don't get me started again on the fact that he has taken 6 different policy positions on the Iraq War. If you disagree, pick a policy proposal and defend it.That only leaves mushy qualities, meaning things you can only "feel" or "sense". You can't demonstrate that he is inspiring. You can't prove that being black or growing up over seas will aid his ability to deal with otehr countries. These are only things you can feel and sense. And I think that's pretty damn sorry. After 8 years of Bush is this REALLY the best we can do?[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:49 PM. Reason : ``][Edited on May 19, 2008 at 1:52 PM. Reason : ``]
5/19/2008 1:48:03 PM
all they have to do is mention the word "drill". not even implement. opec will beg for forgiveness and lower prices
5/19/2008 1:50:38 PM
5/19/2008 1:57:51 PM
Former Klansman Endorses Obama!
5/19/2008 1:58:54 PM
^ maybe in the eyes of the racists, he cancels out Wright
5/19/2008 2:01:18 PM
if I was Obama, Clinton or McCain, i wouldn't want that endorsement
5/19/2008 2:01:56 PM
Byrd: Sorry about all that Klan business. . .heh (crickets). Byrd: "There are white niggers. I've see a lot of white niggers in my time."http://youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 2:11 PM. Reason : .]
5/19/2008 2:08:36 PM
Before I get back to doing work, it struck me that some people may think I am exagerating when I say Obama's supporters best arguments for him come down to identity (color of his skin, where he grew up) and speaking ability. Well, here are a few examples...Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek in his article supporting Obama, "The Power of Personality"
5/19/2008 2:08:43 PM
5/19/2008 2:26:14 PM
Obama tells Tenn.'s GOP: 'Lay off my wife'http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080519/ap_on_el_pr/obama_wife---Let me get this straight. She's allowed to participate in the campaign, but nobody can question her?Fuck you Obama.
5/19/2008 4:17:22 PM
i kinda agree with you on that one. if she's going to be campaigning for her husband, then the press (or whomever) can pull her into this.BUT, this "unpatriotic" criticism is utterly ridiculous.[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 4:21 PM. Reason : .]
5/19/2008 4:20:21 PM