Obama Mouths Mush on War

[donsu]

http://www.blackcommentator.com/161/161_cover_obama_iraq.html


U.S. Senator Barack Obama has planted his feet deeply inside the Iraq war-prolongation camp of the Democratic Party, the great swamp that, if not drained, will swallow up any hope of victory over the GOP in next year's congressional elections. In a masterpiece of double-speak before the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, November 22, the Black Illinois lawmaker managed to out-mush-mouth Sen. John Kerry - a prodigious feat, indeed.

Obama's speech had the Democratic Leadership Council's (DLC) brand stamped all over it. Triangulating expertly, Obama first praised the war record of Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), who has called for immediate steps towards U.S. military redeployment out of Iraq, hopefully in six months, then dismissed both Murtha's bill and any hint of "timetables" for withdrawal. In essence, all Obama wants from the Bush regime is that it fess up to having launched the war based on false information, and to henceforth come clean with the Senate on how it plans to proceed in the future. Those Democrats who want to dwell on the past - the actual genesis and rationale for the war, and the real reasons for its continuation - should be quiet.

-snip-

It's not hard to satisfy Sen. Obama. If Bush would just stop repeating his lies to cover the fact that the Iraq war was premeditated, on the front-burner since his administration came to power, and therefore a crime against peace, well, we could all pretend like nothing criminal had happened - and was still happening.

In the near term Obama, a semanticist with a vengeance, says, "we need to focus our attention on how to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Iraq. Notice that I say ‘reduce,' and not ‘fully withdraw.'"
-snip-
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Obama is not much of a democrat

I've always wondered about him. we never heard of him and then one day there he and his book were, being touted everywhere as a black political super hero. he reminds me of Lieberman.

[Benhurst]

1. As a native of Illinois who supported him,

I've found his record in the Senate so far to be a disappointment.

[formernaderite]

7. he did win wirh overwhleming repub support

granted, they had damaged candidates..but this guy is looking long term.

I agree...he did sound good.

[Benhurst]

8. If he doesn't deliver short term,

he won't have to bother about the long term.

Senator Durban doesn't seem to have any trouble representing Illinois as a Democrat.

[PeaceProgProsp]

15. Which votes don't you like?

His vote against the bankruptcy bill?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mazzarro]

3. He has been bitten by the wishy-washy bug

Democratic leadership is renown for its ability to clumsily shoot down all opportunities that come its way. The leadership prefers to straddle the fence on too many issues hoping only to commit when the sign of the tide is clear and unambigous. Couple these unfortunate characteristics with the strangle hold of the DLC, one can begin to see why the rank-and-file of the democratic party continue to be ignored or at best treated with little regard when it comes to issues that we care about.

[pocket]

4. he's a fencewalker who looked good in TV ads

meh

[ladjf]

5. He seems to be long on style and short on substance.

[radio4progressives]

6. This is a disappointing report - hopes are being dashed for a POC

to be advanced as a presidential contender.

Will I ever see someone of color with true progressive values, become president in my life time?

I'm a middle aged white woman sick to death of the right wing, patriarchal, white supremacist/imperialist mindset in this country, will it ever change?

[Benhurst]

9. I don't know. I sure wish John Conyers were younger. NT

[radio4progressives]

12. me too.. i like John Conyers a lot.. it's taken years for me to even

know that he existed! good gawd he's been a representative for over two decades! I'm just learning about him in recent years!

that's the problem with our party, we need to change that.

[win_in_06]

10. Clearly calls to put him on the ticket as VP are highly premature

[win_in_06]

11. Clearly calls to put him on the ticket as VP are highly premature

and ill-advised.

[Javaman]

13. He's all talk and very little action...

from everything I have read on him and his speeches.

He can wow an audience but when it comes down to the real brass tacks he is sadly lagging. I guess he's just another politician.

[RelativelyJones]

14. I never understood the hype

He had a book out fifteen minutes after he was a elected and has taken every opportunity not to provide backup for progressives (remember his willful misinterpreting of Dean's statements on religious hypocrisy in this country?) If anything, he so far seems like a Bill Bradley for our times.

[liberalpragmatist]

25. The book was written in 1995

And reissued.

[AzDar]

16. I've never really understood why he's always been held in such

high regard, anyway....

[radio4progressives]

18. If it needs to be explained - then it's pointless to even try... n/t

[chicagiana]

17. What is worse ...

What is worse is that Wesely Clark is now talking about the importance of the mission regardless of how "broken" the military becomes.

The bottom line is that we have to withdraw rapidly or COMMIT in a way that would allow "victory". All these mush-mouth Democratic posturings are just a bunch of side-stepping meant to set them against no side and hence unacceptable to MOST people.

I'm deeply dissapointed by Gen. Clark for getting sucked into the mush with Clinton, Obama, Lieberman and the rest. I thought I had a candidate for 2008.

I don't hate Hillary Clinton, but I don't exactly like here either. I don't like DLC Democrats.

[Clarkie1]

23. Clark's not a politician; he's a leader.

He has more important things on his mind than winning popularity contests.

Edit: What you call mush is the most detailed, comprehensive plan for dealing with the Middle East situation as it exists TODAY put forth by anyone. It is not simply Iraq that will be affected by our actions. It is also Iran and the rest of the Middle East.

[jonnyblitz]

26. his "plan" sounds like micro-managed occupation to me.

he assumes the Iraqi's will be docile and just accept what we tell them to do as the insurgency grows and grows...

[catmother]

19. obama is good looking and charming and makes a good speech

but i guess that's it. i'm disappointed.

[madfloridian]

20. Ok, who are we going to rip apart next?

Just wondering. :shrug:

[Clarkie1]

22. My thoughts exactly. n/t

[PassingFair]

21. I MUST take this opportunity to say...

that the Black Comnentator is one of the BEST places for editorial on the web.

That's all.

[orleans]

24. sigh--i've been thinking this for some time now

just another suit
another suck-up to the gop
another dlc wannabe