WTF, Mate? Obama courtesy Shakes:
Well, look, I think it's important to understand that, after two days of testimony, here's the bottom line: That, having put an additional thirty thousand troops in, and continued the same course that we're on, we are now back to the horrendous levels of violence that we were back in June of 2006. So there's no doubt that we’ve seen some measured progress in Anbar province, primarily because the Sunni tribal leaders made a political decision there that they would work with the coalition forces. We've seen a very modest reduction in violence in Baghdad, partly because entire neighborhoods have essentially been ethnically cleansed. Those are all positive things.
He goes on to say agree that yes he wants troop withdrawals but we can't do anything to stop the President without "help from our Republican colleagues."
Memo to Obama: Stupid shit like this comes out of your mouth because you are defending an indefensible war. It's pretty easy to avoid gaffes like this if you're not wasting the world's time seeing endless war as just "one side in the debate". Pardon me for sugarcoating it, but somebody somewhere needs to stand up to these mofos. If you are running as a Democrat for President and you do not stand up to Bush, get off the fucking stage. I mean it.
You should have heard Kucinich on Air America this morning. Watch Kucinich when he says "this war is based on a lie and we should bring our troops home and rebuild Iraq with UN security forces that we fund. And no more Halliburton cheating the Iraqi people and the American taxpayer."
I'm all for listening to both sides when one side is not the endless war on Bad Arabs, brought to you by the Neocons.
It's easy to avoid mis-speaking, Senator Obama. Speak plain and tell the truth.
Obama wants to play nice. Just read his newest book. It's so full of pablum, you'll need a laxative when you're done reading it.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with being dignified. But you have to stand for something. Right now, the stakes are too high for us to back cardboard candidates.
I would go one further. Nationalize Halliburton and all the other profiteers. Sack their coffers to return some of their loot to the American people. Try the bastards who stole this money, attach their assets, throw 'em in prison.
ReplyDeleteThat's after stopping the war, naturally :)
Blue Gal, I echo your same frustrations with the status quo. I wish I could understand the reasons why the Democrats aren't standing tall to the President and the neo-cons.
ReplyDeleteYou know that I support Obama, if for no other reason than I don't want to see Hillary Clinton take the Democratic nomination in a cakewalk.
Dubya has made a career out of taking unpopular viewpoints and holding to them and yet he is still in office and still very much in control of the debate. I wish the Democrats could realize this and understand that even though they might take some criticism, the collective memory of this country is so short-term that they could weather just about anything hostile that came their way.
In no way shape or form is Obama defending an indefensible war. Obama and the Democrats are unable to get the 17 Republican senator's votes needed to override a presidential veto. If Kucinich is so freakin' wonderful, why doesn't he just pull the necessary 17 Republican senator's votes out of his "magic" hat? If Bush can veto, no Democrat (including Kucinich) can do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteKucinich's message is really no different than any of the other candidates, no matter how much some might try to distance his rhetoric from another. Kucinich will not get any taller no matter how much some might try to make the other candidates shorter with their words. Perhaps he should merely stand on the merit of his own message.
Obama is right. The only way we are going to get out of this mess is by reaching across the aisle. Republicans are going to have to stand up their president. The Democrats already have, including Obama and Kucinich. That's my two cents. ;o)
Did you read the speech Obama gave today?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.barackobama.com/2007/09/12/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_23.php
His remarks are a bit less ambiguous than the Today show's awkward comments that your source even admitted could be taken in a way not he did not intend. In his more important remarks, he said out of Iraq by the end of year and Bush better not screw with Iran.
I respect his passion, his convictions and his voice in this wrong war. I wont vote for Kuncinich, not because he cant win, is short, or his wife is prettier than me (all true). I wont vote for him because he was my mayor and even though he was passionate and fighting the good fight, he was incredibly ineffectual. To this day, his is an administrative disaster. I will vote for Obama because I believe in him.
It is absolutely apparent how reduced violence due to successful ethnic cleansing can be seen as a sign of progress.... The President of the United States sees it that way and far be it from me to argue with the preznit.
ReplyDeleteI think we just saw those stats used as evidence of progress used by General Petraeus yesterday. Far be it from me to criticize that display of military analytic acumen.
Obama's comment was a jumbled stupid mess and he should stop. He's better than that. Somebody might misunderstand what he's saying or something.
Link
Anyone who thought voting in a Democratic Congress would allow Pelosi and Reid to just waive a magic wand and end the war, and are now pissed at them for not doing it lack any and all understanding of the United States Congress. Procedurally they can however prevent any funding for the war right now with simply 51 votes. I was never for this option despite being against the war from the beginning but it is time to do that now. If you want to pout and throw the Democrats under the bus because you think voting in the Ron Paul cult or putting the Republicans back in power will be the solution then I say go ahead and fall on your sword you moron. But I will say that if you want to declare that Democrats lack the courage to just end the funding then I agree. Let the boy king and his evil master crow on about hating the troops, I know they will be voting Democrat when they come back.
ReplyDeleteObama is indeed complicit. It's really a false argument to state that the Democrats are being held hostage. The Democrats can simply refuse to send a spending bill forward. You don't need to pull Republican votes if there's no bill to vote on. Since the inception of the War Powers Act, the only way our troops have come home is by Congress cutting funding. Cutting funding is the only way our troops will come home.
ReplyDeleteIt's also worth noting that if a bill is presented, it only takes one senator to filibuster. One. How many senators do we have running?
what i dont understand is why SO many republicans are standing SO firm with Asshole-in-charge -- with almost 70% of the country against the war, with everyone knowing the surge isnt working, that things are truly not getting better -- what is the purpose of the loyalty
ReplyDeletewhy the fuck do the repubs and even many dems -- have to show this hollow "support the troops" bullshit to get re-elected. want to support the troops -- bring them home ASAP.
this country has the major fear of "not supporting the troops" --- everything we do, say, and act on regarding this war revolves around supporting the troops -- not the reality of the what a disaster this whole adventure has been.
one giant clusterfuck
Iraq is not going to be marched out of--prolly EVER! Look, the Neocons and anybody with their thinking cap on knew that going into Iraq was all or nothing; in for a penny in for a pound.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many variables and too many bad outcomes regarding security, U.S. and world economy and the ever present influence of Israel for the U.S to get to wash its hands and turn away.
Scott Ritter on his Book TV segment last weekend said that Dems. like Pelosi and other Senators with ties to Israel are NEVER going to vote extraction because of what it would mean to Israel and what it would likely force them to do militarily.
The war reeks, it was schtoopid, but shit-mommy, its way too late to think we are gonna just egress and leave the mess to the other players.
Anti-war voices are just pissing on themselves, making it easier for the conservative middle class to write them off as thugs and ass-wipes and frankly, sound pretty freakin' naive. We have to temper indignant and ragefull with SCHMART.
Comprenden, Azules?
As I wrote over at Shakes, yeah, he misspoke, but you're right, it's a helluva lot easier if you're not parsing.
ReplyDelete