• Barack Obama,  George W. Bush,  Iraq,  Iraq War,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki Supports Obama’s Withdrawal Plans After Bush Wins War; Update: Al-Maliki’s Remarks Misunderstood, Mistranslated and Not Conveyed Accurately

    +++++Update+++++

    Now, a spokesman has said that al-Maliki’s remarks “were misunderstood, mistranslated and not conveyed accurately.”

    Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the possibility of troop withdrawal was based on the continuance of security improvements, echoing statements that the White House made Friday after a meeting between al-Maliki and U.S. President Bush.

    Al-Maliki

    Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he agrees with US presidential candidate Barack Obama’s plans for withdrawing US troops from Iraq

    The LEFT and Team Obama will try to spin Iraqi Prime Minister’s Nuri al-Maliki’s interview with Speigel Online – even with the change in the quote.

    The first quote:

    SPIEGEL: Would you hazard a prediction as to when most of the US troops will finally leave Iraq?

    Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we’re concerned. US presidential candidate Barack Obama is right when he talks about 16 months. Assuming that positive developments continue, this is about the same time period that corresponds to our wishes.

    The changed quote:

    SPIEGEL: Would you hazard a prediction as to when most of the US troops will finally leave Iraq?

    Maliki: As soon as possible, as far as we’re concerned. U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.

    Read the entire Speigel interview here.

    And, then read the shortened pro-Obama Reuters version.

    What Reuters and other news accounts will fail to emphasize is that under Barack Obama’s anti-SURGE policy, Prime Minister al-Maliki would not be in the postion to see an American withdrawal of combat troops. It is because of the success of General Petraeus and President Bush that the United States has won the Iraq War.

    Let’s look at Obama’s quotes about the SURGE:

    • In October 2006–three months before the president’s new strategy was unveiled–Obama said, “It is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve, and we have to do something significant to break the pattern that we’ve been in right now.”
    • On January 10, 2007, the night the surge was announced, Obama declared, “I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq are going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.”
    • A week later, he insisted the surge strategy would “not prove to be one that changes the dynamics significantly.”
    • And in reaction to the president’s January 23 State of the Union address, Obama said, I don’t think the president’s strategy is going to work. We went through two weeks of hearings on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; experts from across the spectrum–military and civilian, conservative and liberal–expressed great skepticism about it. My suggestion to the president has been that the only way we’re going to change the dynamic in Iraq and start seeing political commendation is actually if we create a system of phased redeployment. And, frankly, the president, I think, has not been willing to consider that option, not because it’s not militarily sound but because he continues to cling to the belief that somehow military solutions are going to lead to victory in Iraq.

    Democrat Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Senator Barack Obama said the war was “LOST” and the surge would not and did not work. Now, the Democrats are spinning the credit for peace in Iraq that President Bush and pro-SURGE pols, such as John McCain rightly deserve. The Iraq War is over – America won.

    Fancy that and the MSM like Reuters are happy to spin the story for Obama and the Democrats.

    But, will the media get away with it with the American voters?

    Stay tuned……..


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  • Barack Obama,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Barack Obama Watch: In Iraq This Weekend?

    McCainObamairaq

    The LEFT is going wild with this story that John McCain “leaked” the fact that Obama would in Iraq this weekend.

    Hell, everyone knows he is leaving for a foreign trip (taking the three major TV anchors with him) and that Obama promised to visit Iraq. Why wouldn’t one expect Obama to jaunt over to Iraq when he will be nearby in Israel and Jordan?

    The RIGHT story is that Obama has ONLY been to Iraq one time and that was 922 days ago.


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  • Barack Obama,  Iraq,  Iraq War,  John McCain,  President 2008

    John McCain Hits Barack Obama in New TV Ad on Foreign Policy

    John McCain’s latest television ad: “Troop Funding”

    In a hard-hitting television ad, John McCain goes afer Barack Obama on foreign policy.

    The script:

    ANNCR: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan.

    He hasn’t been to Iraq in years.

    He voted against funding our troops.

    Positions that helped him win his nomination. Now Obama is changing to help himself become president.

    John McCain has always supported our troops and the surge that’s working.

    McCain. Country first.

    JOHN MCCAIN: I’m John McCain and I approve this message.

    Ouch. This is going to leave a mark.

    The television ad goes “live” in 11 battleground states and on national cable channels today.

    Update:

    Team McCain has just released a statement from the Senator about the television ad:

    “Progress between the United States and Iraq on a time horizon for American troop presence is further evidence that the surge has succeeded. Most of the U.S. forces used in the surge have already been withdrawn. When a further conditions-based withdrawal of U.S. forces is possible, it will be because we and our Iraqi partners built on the successes of the surge strategy, which Senator Obama opposed, predicted would fail, voted against and campaigned against in the primary. When we withdraw, we will withdraw with honor and victory. An honorable and victorious withdrawal would not be possible if Senator Obama’s views had prevailed. An artificial timetable based on political expediency would have led to disaster and could still turn success into defeat. If we had followed Senator Obama’s policy, Iraq would have descended into chaos, American casualties would be far higher, and the region would be destabilized.”

    McCain takes RIGHT after Obama who is attempting to “triangulate” his former anti-Surge Iraq War policy.


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  • John McCain,  Mitt Romney,  President 2008

    John McCain Now Hearts Mitt Romney

    romneymay22a

    Is this any indication that John McCain is seriously considering Mitt Romney as his Vice President?

    “[I]n case you’ve been missing it, Mitt has been doing such a great job lately on my behalf, I said only half in jest, he’s doing a better job for me than he did for himself. And in case you missed it, as short a time ago as this morning, Mitt has been on the shows, not only defending, but standing up for the things that we believe in, are important to the future of the country. And I think you may know that Cindy and I and Mitt and Ann had the chance to spend some time together. And I knew Mitt, and I knew what an outstanding individual he is and what a wonderful family person, but I hadn’t had the chance to get to know Ann, who we all know is battling a disease and she is a woman of courage and beauty and grace. Scott [Romney,I thank you for being here and I thank you for the entire Romney family.”

    To all of the Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin fans out there, this was after all a Detroit, Michigan event.

    But, still…….


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  • Barack Obama,  John McCain,  President 2008

    John McCain Calls Barack Obama a “SOCIALIST?”

    McCaininMichiganjuly182008

    Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) addresses the audience about electric vehicles during a campaign stop at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan July 18, 2008.

    Did John McCain just call Barack Obama a socialist?

    Well, sort of.

    He also said Obama had the “most extreme” record in the Senate.

    Asked later if he thought Obama was an extremist, McCain said: “His voting record … is more to the left than the announced socialist in the United States Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont.”

    Does McCain think Obama is a socialist? “I don’t know. All I know is his voting record, and that’s what people usually judge their elected representatives by.”

    The video is here (around 2:35)

    Team McCain should take the opportunity with Obama leaving America to campaign abroad (sorry, partake in a “fact finding” mission) to pound Obama on domestic issue contrasts.

    The fact is that Obama has a very left-wing voting record – the most left leaning of ANY Senator.


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  • Barack Obama,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Barack Obama Watch: The ONE Goes to Europe

    ramireztoon071808

    Michael Ramirez on “The One”

    Barack Obama, “The One” or “The Messiah” shuttles off to Europe and the Middle East on what amounts to a foreign photo opportunity and campaign rally abroad.

    The Europeans will revel in Obama’s “rock star” persona but will it play so well in America’s heartland?

    Not so much.

    But, will Team McCain be able to capitalize on it?


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  • Barack Obama,  Iraq,  Iraq War,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Barack Obama on the Iraq War – “Whatever The Politics Demand”

    +++++Update+++++

    Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air has the poop on the afternoon Team McCain blogger conference call (to which Flap was invited) featuring Representative Marsha Blackburn, R- TN and Michael Goldfarb, the offical blogger at the The McCain Report.

    Flap’s question:

    Flapsblog – Will the latest ad (see below)be going on broadcast television? Not in its current form It’s a web ad. Will they run contrast ads during Obama’s trip? Yes; Obama set the precedent for that during the Colombia trip.

    John McCain’s web video – The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand

    In a townhall meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, this afternoon, John McCain ripped Barack Obama’s Iraq War policy, including his sixteen month artificial timetable to withdraw American troops.

    Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Thursday ridiculed Democrat Barack Obama’s vow to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq in 16 months as a political tactic aimed at getting votes.

    Obama in a speech this week stuck by his pledge to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq in 16 months, a policy McCain said would sacrifice the security gains that have recently brought a measure of stability to parts of the country.

    “This success that we have achieved is still fragile and could be reversed,” McCain said on his campaign bus. “And if we do what Sen. Obama wants to do, then all of that could be reversed,” and leave behind chaos and Iranian influence, he said.

    In a town hall meeting in Kansas City, McCain said troop withdrawals must be governed by the situation on the ground, “not some artificial, politically inspired” timetable.

    The problem with Obama is that he was elected by the radical left anti-Iraq War faction of the Democrat Party, the MoveOn.org folks and he cannot move off his position of an immediate withdrawal timetable.

    The “SURGE” has been effective and the United States has quelled violence in Iraq to the point commanders are considering a draw down of troops.

    But, Obama was against the “SURGE.” He favored capitulation and immediate withdrawal – just last year.

    Can you say Barack Obama was against the Iraq War before He was for it? Or can you say Obama’s Iraq War policy is “WHATEVER THE POLITICS DEMAND?”


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  • Barack Obama,  Joe Biden,  President 2008

    Barack Obama Watch: The “Johnny-Come-Lately Position” on Afghanistan

    Senator Joe Biden, D-Delaware and Team Obama surrogate on CNN’s American Morning July 16, 2008

    Senator Slow Joe Plagiarizing Joe Biden has certainly changed his tune on Barack Obama’s foreign policy experience since last year. Watch the video above from yesterday and explain to Flap the 180 degree turn around from what Joe Biden said about Obama last year.

    On Aug. 1, 2007, when Obama unveiled his counterterrorism agenda, the Biden camp fired off a snarky email congratulating him for his “Johnny-come-lately position” on Afghanistan, noting that during two Foreign Relations Committee hearings on Afghanistan and other subjects, Obama didn’t ask questions about the Taliban, Al Qaeda, or Afghanistan. (We also wrote on it here.)

    “We find it a little disingenuous that Sen. Obama is hailing this as a new bold initiative when he has neglected to join his colleagues in the Senate when the opportunities have been there to redirect our forces into Afghanistan” Biden campaign manager Luis Navarro said at the time. “It’s good to see Sen. Obama has finally arrived at the right position, but this can hardly be considered bold leadership.” Ouch.

    Slow Joe Biden, what can you say about a politician who steals the work of others first in law school and then as a Presidential candidate, who then turns around and conveniently forgets how he criticized Barack Obama for the same thing he now praises him.

    How do you spell disingenuous or is Biden just a LIAR?

    Come on, Joe, tell us the real truth. Barack Obama has NO foreign policy experience, has NEVER traveled to Afghanistan and has been to Iraq one time. Obama has NO military experience. Obama is a ROOKIE.

    Oh! Flap remembers you have forgotten again……


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  • Barack Obama,  Iraq,  Iraq War,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Barack Obama Watch: The Changing Iraq War Policy

    McCainObamairaq

    Graphic courtesy of ABC News

    Consistent with Barack Obama’s FLIP-FLOP on his Iraq War policy a week ago or so, BarackObama.com has been scrubbed of any references to Obama’s opposition to the “Surge.”

    Barack Obama’s campaign scrubbed his presidential Web site over the weekend to remove criticism of the U.S. troop “surge” in Iraq, the Daily News has learned.

    The presumed Democratic nominee replaced his Iraq issue Web page, which had described the surge as a “problem” that had barely reduced violence.

    “The surge is not working,” Obama’s old plan stated, citing a lack of Iraqi political cooperation but crediting Sunni sheiks – not U.S. military muscle – for quelling violence in Anbar Province.

    Well, Obama was wrong on the “SURGE” and now wants to bury the fact that he was WRONG. “Change we can believe in,” right?

    Team McCain is now ridiculing Obama for their blatant flip on the war.

    GOP rival John McCain zinged Obama as a flip-flopper. “The major point here is that Sen. Obama refuses to acknowledge that he was wrong,” said McCain, adding that Obama “refuses to acknowledge that it [the surge] is succeeding.”

    Ed Morrissey asks what changes will we see from Obama when he confers with General Petraeus and the other generals in Iraq?

    Plus Ca Change…….

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    John McCain Beats Barack Obama in Commander in Chief Test


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