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Obama Gets Tough: Denounces Escalation Policy

This is a very good sign as well as being absolutely correct from Senator Obama:

Today, nearly three thousand brave young Americans are dead, and tens of thousands more have been wounded. Rather than welcomed "liberators," our troops have become targets of the exploding sectarian violence in Iraq. Our military has been strained to the limits. The cost to American taxpayers is approaching $400 billion.

Now we are faced with a quagmire to which there are no good answers. But the one that makes very little sense is to put tens of thousands more young Americans in harm's way without changing a strategy that has failed by almost every imaginable account.

In escalating this war with a so-called "surge" of troops, the President would be overriding the expressed concerns of Generals on the ground, Secretary Powell, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and the American people. Colin Powell has said that placing more troops in the crossfire of a civil war simply will not work. General John Abizaid, our top commander in the Middle East, said just last month that, "I believe that more American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future." Even the Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed concern, saying that a surge in troop levels "could lead to more attacks by al-Qaeda" and "provide more targets for Sunni insurgents." Once again, the President is defying good counsel and common sense.

Well done Senator.

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  • Display: Sort:
    it's good to see (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by profmarcus on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 12:52:59 PM EST
    a little more huevos coming from obama... i think with how john edwards is approaching things, he's going to have a run for his money...

    i think that edwards' framing of his candidacy as a call to action for americans to change our country NOW, and making his campaign more about THAT than about HIM is remarkable...

       John Edwards:

        If we want to live in a moral and just America tomorrow, we cannot wait until the next President is elected to begin to take action.

    and here's bob geiger in the huffpo...

       Americans are bone-tired of disliking and disrespecting their president and, I believe, are unusually anxious to begin the presidential season to, if nothing else, give them the feeling that a change is coming sooner than later. People hungered for a change in the Congress and made it happen -- now that strong desire to take out the trash moves to the executive branch of government.

    And, yes, I DO take it personally

    Obama Just needs to give it a name (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by Molly Bloom on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 01:22:27 PM EST
    The Bush-McCain Escalation will do nicely.

     

    I prefer (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by squeaky on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 01:32:57 PM EST
    The Lieberman-McCain Escalation, but that would never happen because Lieberman was Obama's mentor.  

    Parent
    no, he wasn't (none / 0) (#13)
    by vwbug on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 09:50:30 PM EST
    His mentors were:
    Paul Simon:  who taught him about politics in his younger years
    Dick Durbin:  Senate majority whip and fellow Illinois senator.  He took Obama campaigning in 04 and taught Obama most everything in the senate.
    Check again.

    Parent
    Google (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 10:30:58 PM EST
    There needs to be (none / 0) (#1)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 12:43:01 PM EST
    a loud and rolling thunderous chorus of this from every Democratic Senator & Rep.

    And every blogger, reporter, concerned... (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Bill Arnett on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 12:53:38 PM EST
    ...citizen, churches and religious leaders, mayors, city councils, social organizations, state governors, state legislatures, performers, luminaries, college professors, students, and everybody else that has a decent regard for man and humanity that wants to bring an end to this illegal war.

    Mornin', Edger, everybody

    Parent

    Hi, Bill (none / 0) (#4)
    by aw on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 01:20:01 PM EST
    I may borrow that list for a letter to the editor of my little local paper.

    Parent
    Good morning, feel free to borrow as you like! (none / 0) (#6)
    by Bill Arnett on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 01:29:18 PM EST
    Morning Bill! (none / 0) (#8)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 01:36:57 PM EST
    Obama in 08 (none / 0) (#9)
    by plumberboy on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 06:22:28 PM EST
    I will settle for Hilliary,Obama,or Edwards any would be a welcome change from the hateful war happy nuke'em crowd we have in the white house now it's good to see Obama speaking out and making his view clear. I think the fact that he didn't vote for the war and won't have such a struggle defendind his opinion on the war will be to his advantage in 08.I hope he wins he's my personal favorite I like him he seems like a real good down to earth type guy.

    Re: Well done Senator. (none / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 07:31:18 PM EST
    Very. Now work on the rest of the Democrats:

    Throw the Bums Out and Change Direction

    ...
    Now is the time for progressives to be more vigilant than ever -- focus on what the Democrats are doing and not doing, make loud and clear demands that they do more, and keep organizing at the grassroots level. Just a few months ago, George W. declared, "I'm the decider." No, he's not. Neither are the Democrats. You are.

    Maybe get them listening to John Dean, too.

    no longer America's war (none / 0) (#11)
    by Edger on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 09:04:12 PM EST
    Via Rawstory, December 28, 2006:
    "I have come to the conclusion that this is no longer America's war in Iraq, but the Iraqi civil war where America is fighting," Maj. William Voorhies, the American commander of a military training unit in Baghdad tells the [ New York Times ]


    Yeah, that's my senator! (none / 0) (#12)
    by vwbug on Thu Dec 28, 2006 at 09:47:56 PM EST
    All I have to say to those not in Illinios
    "You ain't seen nothin' yet"