Later, during the presidential campaign, Obama said this about his opponent…."On issue after issue, John McCain is offering more of the same policies that have failed for the last eight years. That's the agenda that he and the president are raising money to support later today."….That “agenda” that Obama spoke of…was specifically the surge in Iraq. Obama opposed the surge strategy in Iraq, saying it would increase violence. More specifically he said…”Given the deteriorating situation, it is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve, and we have to do something significant to break the pattern that we've been in right now."…..He went on to say that he did not believe that a surge of 15000 to 20000 additional troops in Iraq…."Is going to make a significant dent in the sectarian violence that’s taking place there”
Not only did Obama say that the surge wouldn’t work (after all he is a seasoned military man and HE should know)….on 01/10/07, he also said the following in a response to President Bush’s speech on the war in Iraq….."I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse. I think it takes pressure off the Iraqis to arrive at the sort of political accommodation that every observer believes is the ultimate solution to the problems we face there. So I am going to actively oppose the president's proposal. … I think he is wrong, and I think the American people believe he's wrong."…… In other words…not only will the surge NOT work….it will do exactly the opposite….So…..(pay close attention here all of you nay-sayers....those of you who are saying "nay" to what I am saying)…..So….He said that he would “ACTIVELY OPPOSE THE PRESIDENT’S PROPOSAL” for the surge…..And he did just that. (for my liberal, Obama supporting friends…that means Obama didn’t like it and felt that it was another bad idea from that idiot George Bush)
In fact not only did he oppose it at the time it was proposed…..even as the surge was underway…. Obama said that the surge was not working in Iraq. (more of those failed policies of the Bush-Cheney administration, I guess)….Here's what he said at the time on NBC’s “The Today Show” on 07/18/07…."Well, actually, I think there was a very serious debate, and it's based on some fundamental differences. I think reasonable people can differ on this issue because there are no good options in Iraq. We should not have gone. At this point we have bad options and worse options. But we are facing a choice. My assessment is that the surge has not worked and we will not see a different report eight weeks from now". That means that Obama said that the surge in Iraq WILL not work….ISN’T working…..and it WON’T work in the future.
As a citizen of the United States….Senator Obama certainly had the right to oppose something that he felt was not right….BUT…he didn’t even stop there….he was SO sure of the failure of “the President’s plan” (Obama’s words not mine)….that he sought to stop the policy that he felt was a wrong direction for the country. (keep in mind, at the time, the surge in Iraq was ALWAYS referred to as Bush’s plan)…..Here’s what he said in regard to stopping another wrong move by Bush…… “I feel that we should take a look at what mechanisms we have available to prevent the president from pursuing a wrongheaded strategy, ... He's commander in chief; he has a lot of discretion; but at some point our democracy is structured in such a way when a president takes a wrong course that there is an ability to correct it."……So to sum it up….Bush’s surge policy in Iraq wouldn’t work when it was proposed….Wasn’t working after it was put into place….Wouldn’t work in the future….and he needs to be stopped somehow even though he (Bush) is commander in chief.
Then you have then Senator Joe “open mouth insert foot” Biden…..Back when Joe was the incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman…….he too said that he “would oppose any effort by President Bush to increase U.S troops in Iraq as part of a new war strategy”. In fact, Biden was one of the chief architects of a resolution to oppose any troop surge in Iraq. He said….”We’ve tried the military surge option before and it failed. ... If we try it again, it will fail again." ….Biden even went as far as to say that he would summon (then) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify before his committee to discuss Bush’s new plan for Iraq. The reason that he gave for the hearings was that he was hoping the hearings would “generate bipartisan consensus in Congress that will pressure the president to abandon talk of increasing troop levels in Iraq”. (liberal translation...."we will make this idiot Bush, stop this ridiculous idea of a surge, by hammering away at the Secretary of State") Wow…nothing like politicizing a war….huh Joe? Let’s have some of those really meaningful Senate hearings to see if we can stop this troop surge that we don’t like…..right? Among some other really silly proposals…..rather than a surge…Biden proposed a “drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq”… To sum up Joe Biden’s view of Bush’s troop surge….he said “President Bush seems to be leaning toward a so-called "surge" of perhaps 30,000 more troops”……adding…"I just think it's the absolute wrong strategy"……At the time of these statements…Biden also delivered another message to President Bush during a meeting at the White House….(you’re gonna’ love this one…seriously you will)….He told Bush…."Mr. President, this is your war".
Anyone see where I’m going with this?....................First let me say that it is widely accepted by both Democrats and Republicans.....liberals and conservatives....pro-war and anti-war......those who put the toilet paper on the roll so that it pulls from the top and those who put the toilet paper on the roll so that it pulls from underneath.....and then of course by military people who actually have a clue what they are talking about....that the surge in Iraq was the turning point in that war...and also the reason that conditions there have progressed to where they are today.
With all of that being said……Joe Biden went on “The Larry King Show” last week, and said the following…….”I am very optimistic about — about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You’re going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer.” (emphasis added by author)…..
So Joe....you and Barack said it was a "gonna' fail"..."did fail"...and "always will fail" policy of George Bush....But now that it has decidedly worked out….you and your buddy get to take credit for it? Seriously Joe?.....I didn’t think that you or Obama had the (insert your own word here) to do something that brazen…..but obviously I was wrong. So let me see if I have it right….bear with me Joe because I’m not nearly as smart as you and Barack…..If something doesn’t work, then it’s a “failed policy of the Bush administration”….but if something DOES work….then, even though it was Bush’s policy….and you and Barack fought tooth and nail against it…..it now becomes (in your words) “one of the great achievements of this administration”. Wow, that's unbelievable….but then I guess you might as well take credit for someone else’s policies….since it doesn’t seem as if any of your own policies are working out very well so far…..Then Again….That’s Just Me
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