Obama will continue war

[TheCorinthian]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_el_pr/obama_iraq

 

Contending that the U.S. is not pursuing a sound strategy for keeping Americans safe, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday that fighting al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan would be his top priority after ending the war in Iraq.

 

 

So much for change.

[Bangkoktraveler]

The Taliban seems to be taking over Afghanastan. With almost 7 years of war, it would be ironic when GWB leaves office, if the Taliban is fully back in power.

[Steve]

Had Bush not take his eye off the ball the situation in Afghanistan would probably have been much better.

 

What makes going into Iraq so bad is the way our troops were treated. Here we are with suppposedly the best equipped military in the world and there were plenty of reports of soldiers begging, borrowing and stealing metal and steel plates to protect their vehicles.

 

There is a disconnect with what is needed on the ground and the military brass and bureauracracy back in the states where they have their little fiefdoms of army contracts with companies, and strategies for the future direction of the military that they uphold even if it meant denying troops on the ground, in combat what they need to do their job.

 

The administration has pretty much destroyed the national guard program.

 

Argghh...there I go again. Damn you all for getting me riled up! Where's my blood pressure medicine?

[cavanami]

The Senate and Congress *** should *** have stepped in and set the President straight, like they "did" here. The President does not have ultimate control, the Congress and Senate along with the Supreme Court are *** suppose *** to provide a system of "checks and balances".

 

Congress votes to override veto on Medicare bill

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_go_co/bush_medicare

 

WASHINGTON - Congress on Tuesday rejected President Bush's veto of legislation protecting doctors from a 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rates when treating Medicare patients.

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The override vote in the House was a lopsided 383-41, easily meeting the two-thirds threshold needed to nullify the president's veto. About an hour later, the Senate voted to override, 70-26.

[Flashermac]

Disconnect between the REMFs and the combat troops is typical. We had a helluva time getting equipment and even ammunition at the firebase. Go about 90 miles down to Qui Nhon on the coast and you'd see supplies stacked all over the place. We didn't get issued our M-16s until we were pulled back from the fire base, after being cut off by ground for over six weeks. When I complained about it at rear detachment, they told me, "We were afraid you'd be overrun and didn't want to lose the rifles."

 

 

p.s. A career NCO told me Fort Hood had armoured Humvees all over the place. Wouldn't ship them to Iraq though.

 

 

[TheCorinthian]

Most have what you all have said here is about the present.

 

 

The topic is about the future, and that the #1 candidate you would think on this forum... will change nothing.

[Khun_Kong]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_el_pr/obama_iraq

 

Contending that the U.S. is not pursuing a sound strategy for keeping Americans safe, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday that fighting al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan would be his top priority after ending the war in Iraq.

 

 

So much for change.

 

 

War in Iraq--> Not war in Iraq = Change. Do the math.

 

What part of "...ending the war in Iraq." do you not understand?

 

Is that not one of your own goals?

 

And didn't BushCo go from fighting al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan to... to... to what? What is the god damn goal there?

 

I hope to god you don't say that is one of BushCo's "top priorities", cuz, if it is, they can just add it to the "things-I've-fucked-up-royally-in-just-8-years" list.I reckon it's more of an "oh shit, we forgot about that war" than a "top priority".

 

So making it a top priority would be kinda like, ya know... CHANGE!

 

[TheCorinthian]

Where does he say he will end the war in Iraq? I missed that part.

[Flashermac]

<< vowed to stick to his plan to [color:red]withdraw combat troops[/color] within 16 months of becoming president. >>

 

The REMFs will have their hands full!

 

 

 

[TheCorinthian]

I found this from Obama's campain website:

 

Barack Obama believes we must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in. Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war. The removal of our troops will be responsible and phased, directed by military commanders on the ground and done in consultation with the Iraqi government. Military experts believe we can safely redeploy combat brigades from Iraq at a pace of 1 to 2 brigades a month that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 â?? more than 7 years after the war began.

 

 

Note that he intends to end the war, not win the war. His timetable for withdrawal is summer of 2010, 16 months after taking office. (Like Flash said) However, on any given day, he will say whatever his audience wants to hear. He tells Code Pink and MoveOn.org that he will withdraw immediately. He tells the VFW that the war will end honorably and orderly. He has enough weasel language in the statement above to withdraw on day one or after 100 years.