This is what Obama said about the Iraq war BEFORE it started

[Alhena]

Why on the earth would we Democrats nominate someone who supported this ridiculous war by voting for it as opposed to someone who said the following BEFORE it started:

http://www.blackcommentator.com/45/45_dixon.html

"I don't oppose all wars ... What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.
"What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Roves to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income ... to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone thru the worst month since the Great Depression.

"That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics .... "

[robinlynne]

1. I don't believe we shall.

[blm]

2. And why would he resist the withdrawal plans submitted once he took office?

Or choose Lieberman as his senate mentor?

He certainly is interesting in that way, isn't he?

[Alhena]

5. He has called for a phased withdrawal ...

Obama has called for a phased withdrawal, and he will make more specific announcements about his Iraq plans at a press conference in a couple weeks.

Now, if you're saying we should just pick up and leave now, that's would make me happiest, but I can see why there are good reasons to do it gradually.

[liberalpragmatist]

7. He was assigned Lieberman as his Senate Mentor

Freshman senators are assigned by their party a senior member to "show them the ropes," etc. Obama didn't pick Lieberman (although he gets along with him) - he was assigned to Lieberman.

And while I think we do need to formulate a withdrawal plan (and I do like Kerry's), I take Obama at his word when he says he has not endorsed (yet) an explicit timetable because he genuinely doesn't know if it'll work. He has said repeatedly we have to get out of Iraq - he has openly said the challenge is doing it in a way that doesn't leave the situation in Iraq even worse for US and global security.

[blm]

9. I'd heard Obama chose Lieberman. I never heard anything about mentors being assigned

for the last 20+ years I've been watching Capitol Hill. I have heard that freshman senators choose who they would prefer for a mentor.

And how is it he'll 'know' his plan will work when he somehow couldn't know last June what would work? That seems odd.

Especially since Kerry-Feingold and Murtha's plans were addressing the reality of Iraq's civil war then in Jnue, while many Dems aren't even acknowledging Iraq is in civil war even now 5 months later. They've mostly tiptoed around the words CIVIL WAR.

[hwmnbn]

3. Yep, I remember this statement....

It was in the midst of the drums of war hysteria. The fear if you didn't support the president, you were judged unpatriotic.

Obama had balls back then, and sound judgement too.

[theguvnorgc]

4. Let's not...

Crown him just yet though, eh? There's a long way to go and a lot of good people in the party.

[Impashund Ubique]

6. And now he has gone all senatorial on us.

I applaud the fact that Obama was able to see the travesty that this war was and is. However, Obama is in the Senate now. And he isn't just any Senator, but a Senator with a lot of national name recognition and media love. You would hope that besides making gov't bills available online (which is great), he could champion the issues of Iraq. Try to be a bold and innovative voice to get out of there; yet, the guy has been mute since he was elected. In fact, he keeps insisting that you cannot withdraw substantially right now. I believe he was one of the few who spoke out against Feingold's call for withdrawal - correct me on that, if I'm wrong.

Like I said... what happened to him? The quotes above showcase a straightforward guy of convictions and rationality. He gets so much attention nationally, he would have done everyone a favor by speaking more vigorously against the war and try to bring up a legislation - even if such an act would have failed, due to his star power, it would have brought attention to the issue of GETTING OUT OF IRAQ.

Let's hope that he can become a leading anti-war voice in the new Democratic congress.

[hwmnbn]

10. Being a junior senator....

of the minority party up to now puts some severe limits on what legislation he can introduce, much less pass.

How he's served is by energizing the dems and others around the country. He's raised SERIOUS money and crowds for most every dem candidate.

From what I see, he's pragmatic enough to know politics is about picking your fights and spots.

I also know he's intelligent enough to write his own speeches and books.

I don't know what the future brings, but we could do worse than Obama. I'm sure of THAT.

[Mr_Spock]

8. Damn, is it Dem bashing time again?

already?