May 17, 2007
Notebook: Obama Counterattacks On The War
First -- why did Obama engage now? The Clintons have been saying this for a while.
Maybe it was what Ex-President Clinton said right after. The itals are ours.
COOPER: Are you surprised by the strength of Barack Obama's campaign?CLINTON: No. No. Because in the beginning, there was this impression that he was the only one that was really against the president's policy in Iraq, which I don't think is accurate, but it nevertheless had some legs out there.
His voting record and Hillary's are almost identical, I think, on all the relevant issues. And also, he's just a very gifted man. I mean, he's an attractive, compelling charismatic guy who has not been in politics very long, therefore has not had the time to pick up the enemies that you pick up or at least opposition you pick up if you stay around and actually, you know, are in the fray and you're fighting to do things. And I think he's a very -- he's running a great campaign. So I'm not surprised.
We could see how Mr. Obama might find that patronizing.
Obama, who has made his 2002 opposition to the war a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, was asked this morning on MSNBC about comments made last night by former President Clinton, in which he said that Sens. Clinton and Obama have had similar voting records on the war."I suppose that's true if you leave out the fact that she authorized it, and supported it, and I said it was a bad idea," said Obama. "That's a fairly major difference."
While Obama has sought to draw this contrast with Clinton throughout the campaign, he has previously avoided making such a pointed criticism of his rival.
When asked the same question about his voting record last fall, by the New Yorker magazine, Obama admitted that "it's not clear to me what differences we've had since I've been in the Senate."
"I think what people might point to is our different assessments of the war in Iraq," Obama said at the time, "although I’m always careful to say that I was not in the Senate, so perhaps the reason I thought it was such a bad idea was that I didn't have the benefit of U.S. intelligence."
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Ex-Maj. Leader Tom Daschle guests at the opening of Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Iowa Saturday. Writes Daschle, in an e-mail to Polk Co. Democrats:
"Sometimes exceptional leaders come along at the right time to guide us through pivotal periods in the course of history. With a tragic war raging indefinitely, millions of Americans (and thousands of Iowans) living precariously without adequate health care, and our moral standing in the world community severely diminished, today we stand at one of those pivotal times. Thankfully, Barack Obama has emerged as a leader with a vision for changing the way things are done and leading our country towards a brighter future. That's why I'm standing with him in this campaign."
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Rudy Giuliani's headed to Missouri on June 8, and the host for his event, Charlie Barnes, was mostly recently the district office director or Sen. Kit Bond...
Posted at 02:10 PM
Comments
"I suppose that's true if you leave out the fact that she authorized it, and supported it, and I said it was a bad idea," said Obama. "That's a fairly major difference."
In 2002, Obama wasn't in the US Senate at the time of the vote so why grant so much weight to this? Nor is that opposition to the invasion proving to be much of a boost for him so let's hope he finds a better talking point.
Obama was a state senator in 2002. I suspect that if he were a US Senator at the time, he likely would have voted "yes" with the majority:
I think what people might point to is our different assessments of the war in Iraq, although I’m always careful to say that I was not in the Senate, so perhaps the reason I thought it was such a bad idea was that I didn’t have the benefit of U.S. intelligence.
Corinne | 05.17.07 03:21 PM
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I never vote for anyone who authorized the war in Iraq...never
jazz | 05.18.07 07:28 AM
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Ron Paul voted against the war- he was in the senate. Denis Kucinich voted against the war- he was in congress. They all saw the same intelligence as Hillary Clinton.
When people make wrong judgements, they should have the decency to admit it and not be political about everthing.
In his 2004 senate race, Obama could've taken the popular road, instead he persisted in his opposition to the war. You cannot assume that if he were in the senate, he would've voted 'Yes'. Keeping her vote aside, Hillary never opposed the war untill it became so unpopular and she decided to run for President. That dishonesty is reflected in a recent poll that shows that 55% of Americans believe she says things just to get elected (The highest of all candidates).
Mike | 05.18.07 07:04 PM
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jazz
what do you propose we do when the children of the Islamics grow up? they will be so numerous they will be everywhere. we are breeding week-kneed wimps like you and they are breeding suicide bombers. guess who wins that war. better to kill them now than for our children to take the hit.
maybe you have no children but the rest of us do.
ENOS STANDRIDGE | 05.19.07 06:51 PM
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