10 April 2008
The three presidential candidates got to put their two cents in when questioning Gen. Petraeus and countering Sen. McCain. Clinton sighted the fact that there has been a lack of political progress in Iraq and that our military resources are being expended in Iraq and keeping those resources from other needs around the world. She also cited the mental strain on troops serving repeated deployment. At the beginning of her appearance she berated McCain for saying Democratic calls for a withdrawal are irresponsible and show a “lack of leadership.” Clinton said she disagreed saying “I think it could be fair to say that it might well be irresponsible to continue the policy that has not produced the results that have been promised time and time again.” She also said “The administration and supporters of the administration’s policy often talk about the cost of leaving Iraq, yet ignore the greater costs of continuing the same failed policy,” she said. “I think it’s time to begin an orderly process of withdrawing of our troops.”
Obama again questioned how has this war made us safer and when do we know that there is success so we can start bringing our troops home. He also challenged McCain for his stance on long term occupation in Iraq saying that long term occupation will not change fundamentals on the ground. Obama said that McCain has not offered any clear point for when it’s time for us to move our troops home.
McCain says that we have to back the president and his generals but I question his backing Bush’s as we all know when military men do not agree with Bush’s wishes they get replaced. McCain predicts dire consequences if we withdraw from Iraq and put both Petraeus and Crocker on record that a certain level of troops is likely to remain in Iraq for years to come possibly 100 years. He cited our 50 years in South Korea but that situation is not as volatile as Iraq.
Petraeus tried to put the cause of the upsurge of violence on Iran but nobody was buying that spin A few months from now Petraeus or some other general in charge will tell Congress what the president wants them to hear. I believe that Petraeus betrayed the American public by siding with an unpopular President who wants to stay the course in Iraq for personal and political reasons. The President is passing the buck to Petraeus who is doing what is expected of him to keep from being replaced.
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