Obama to visit Iraq before November election.
By on Jun 16th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Obama to visit Iraq before November election.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said today he intends to visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the November election. “The presumed Democratic presidential nominee said he spoke with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Monday about the war and told him he looks forward to seeing him in Baghdad.” More details will be announced soon.
UpdateAlso, Al Gore "will appear in Detroit tonight for his debut campaign appearance with Senator Barack Obama."
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PULEEZE, don’t go with Johnny Boy or JoeL (I-Israel). Go and see the REAL story, but keep your head down and your flak vest buttoned up.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pmSenator Obama, whatever you do, don’t let them pose you for photos in the open hatch of a tank.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pmYeah he should not go with McCain on one of his propaganda tours. He should set up the trip independently for himself.
Juan Cole had a good post a few weeks ago which people Obama should consider meeting with. Not a bunch of American generals but important influential Iraqis, politicians and religious authorities
June 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pmIraq is ready for your voice of reason. Go in peace, Senator.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pmAmen, upside99. I hope he is guarded adequately. I’m not one to be paranoid, but the chances that something could go wrong are very real. Too many people have a vested interest in Obama not being elected.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:24 pmBetter not hired Blackwater as your bodyguards… they’re playing on McCain’s team.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:24 pmI’d suggest Obama meet with Ware. Logan, the BBC reporters and especially all the Iraqi reporters and then compare to what the Army ppress corp is saying. Also any NGO units.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:27 pmIn short he should get away from ANY high level US official and minders and then consider his words.
Good idea, meet with the troops, general staff, but minimally.
Meet the Iraqi parliamentary leaders, not just Maliki.
Try a meeting with other influential persona, if possible.
And keep safe…
June 16th, 2008 at 3:28 pmGreat move by Obama. I hope that Obama is accompanied with Wesley Clark and/or John Kerry. And leave Joe Six Pack Lickerman out of it. This way Obama and get the truth [and not the fluff from McCain, Bush, and others] about the conditions in Iraq.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pmI think this is a very bad idea folks. I’m thinking Pat Tillman bad. I dion’t generally run with “gut instincts”, but my gut is telling me this is a very bad idea.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pmAl Gore for Secretary of the Interior
June 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pmthat crazy “God Hates Fags” preacher in kansas had some touching remarks about Tim Russerts “passing”…
thank god
June 16th, 2008 at 3:37 pmI am sure a person with Obama’s brilliance will only surround himself with the truly trusted.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:40 pmNot only is Obama seeing a 80+ lead, but many states, such as Alaska and those from the sooth, are going into the pink.
McCrash pretty much made this trip mandatory.
I, too, fear the sereptitous side of the Bush Machine. It would be way too easy to arrange an accident in this scenario.
I guess we have to look at it as just another dangerous hurdle Obama is obligated to jump. I’m curious, though, if he will be vocal about the US withdrawing from Iraq to the soldiers in general. I’m sure he knows not all of them support this idea, but I’m also confident many more troops want to go home than those who want to keep killing women & children.
By the way, any Troll who hasn’t served in Iraq or Afghanistan, just STFU.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pm“The presumed Democratic presidential nominee…”
Who the f*** wrote this piece? Hillary Clinton?
Newsflash: Obama IS the Democratic presidential nominee.
For now. anyways - and I say that with great fear, for reasons others have so correctly identified in previous posts.
Put nothing past those who dread an Obama presidency.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:43 pmI can just see Holy Joe whispering in Obama’s ear, “you know, Sunnis and Shia are the same thing”… “Iran has a nuclear weapon”… “Israel is defenseless and needs us to beat up its neighbors…”
June 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pmHAD ENOUGH! I’m following the same site.
In spite of using Rassmussen data too heavily, it’s a pretty good site.
Nevada just swung to barely republic, and so did NC…
Can you spell thrashing?
June 16th, 2008 at 3:45 pmOld Hack,
Are you serious about believing what Rev. Whack-Job Phelps says or, as I hope, it was a spoof?
June 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pmAL GORE ENDORSES OBAMA.
link.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pmHopefully this won’t just be another dog-and-pony show like all of the rest of these trips have been. So far, the Iraq visits have done more harm than good.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pmlokidog Says:
“The presumed Democratic presidential nominee…”
Who the f*** wrote this piece? Hillary Clinton?
If Obama supporters ever want to win in November, you might want to lay off the Hillary hating rhetoric. Whether you like it or not, half of the party supported her, and not YOUR candidate… You can’t win in November without Hillary and Hillary supporters, and Hillary has already endorsed Obama openly and vigorously. Many of us don’t like your candidate, some are fine with him. Your attacks don’t do you or Obama any good, and in fact snotty, bratty comments like yours help destroy any hope of party unity. The Obamaheads have no hope of reaching me, but you do have an opportunity to reach many voters that voted for Hillary. I suggest you put away your hate, and start building bridges if you ever hope to achieve what you ‘claim’ is your goal. Perhaps you should follow the age old advice of “If you don’t have anything nice to say, how about you say nothing at all in this matter”. Unless of course you WANT to create party discord and make sure Obama loses?
June 16th, 2008 at 4:26 pmWow this is great stuff. A little preachy but still great stuff.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pmrepublicans hate facts Says:
“I suggest you put away your hate..”
“the Hillary hating rhetoric…”
We won’t look to you for any space to put away the hate…
June 16th, 2008 at 5:04 pmThis is just stupid. Obama is doing everything to validate mccain talking points.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:06 pmYeah, you’re right pluege, McCain ought to start pulling his weight. Haven’t seen Pork Chop filling sandbags… just going from one dinner party to the next…
June 16th, 2008 at 5:10 pmOh come on Nevar
June 16th, 2008 at 5:17 pmYou’re just a hating hopium c*nt and you know it!
Barack Obama knows, and has always known, he would have to go assess the fiasco of Bush/Cheney’s invasion and subsequent debacle.
McCane’s minions will now attack when, and how many times, Obama goes there.
I don’t have to go to Iraq to understand the horror of what the United States is allowing to happen, all in the name of oil and mercenary contractor profits.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:18 pmBarack Obama won’t be going to Iraq to make a show of how much progress has been made, or how safe it is… he’ll be going there to assess the damage and figure out how to fix it.
Because he knows he will inherit the worst foreign policy blunder in the history of our nation.
Yeah, I was hopium I could dump some hating on RHF, but I c*n’t.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:21 pmAren’t Obama’s biggest threats:
* the corporate powers that be including big oil, big pharma, health insurance, banking, and those gaining from the MIC.
* those from the Bush Crime Family fearing prosecution from an Obama administration
* Anyone that could gain the Dem nominee due to Obama’s death
Iraq itself may not be a great threat, but a huge threat by those that would like to use Iraq as an excuse.
wacth your back Obama.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pmlokidog Says:
“The presumed Democratic presidential nominee…”
Who the f*** wrote this piece? Hillary Clinton?
Newsflash: Obama IS the Democratic presidential nominee.
No, he is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee until the convention makes him the official nominee. Now is not the time to quibble over such minute and irrelevant issues. Now is the time for unity and a full bore campaign to make the real issues front and center. In this, we all need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Let the Republicans do the quibbling (and they will). Let them lose.
June 16th, 2008 at 5:26 pmWhat’s the difference between neoclown scum like grampy McLame and Joe LIEberman and Barack Obama? Neoclown scum need to sneak into baghdad like thieves in the night, unannounced. Barack Obama doesn’t
June 16th, 2008 at 6:08 pmCue the Neocons - Obama going to Iraq is an act of treason.
(but McC going is an uplifting experience of commerce in the carpet mart).
June 16th, 2008 at 6:14 pmCould someone explain the link for Old Hacks #13 about Tim Russert and God Hates Fags preacher ?
Russert was married and had a wife and kid. Or does the good preacher just hate the guy because he was in the media ?
June 16th, 2008 at 6:18 pmI think a trip to Iraq by Obama is very important. It will give him more credibility when he talks about his plans for the troops and the future of Iraq.
I do, however, agree with those concerned for Obama’s safety, when he goes. If Obama is somehow targeted in Iraq, it would result in conspiratorial divisions that wouldn’t abate in our lifetime.
The trip is important. His safety is essential.
June 16th, 2008 at 7:24 pmBackup,
You’re partially correct. “If Obama is somehow targeted in Iraq” I guarantee you that “conspiratorial divisions” will be the least of our worries. It will literally tear this country apart.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:42 pmIt’s about time.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:06 amMost people are not aware that both Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have spent time at the USA bases of units returning from combat. They meet with active duty, guard and reserve members and their families. If one really wants to know what is going on it does not require a trip to the war zone but rather a trip to the bases where the families wait and worry and the troops return hopefully unharmed.
I am not a believer in politicians visiting war zones except as cheerleaders. The troops assigned to their safety are taken away from their primary focus of military operations and their own safety and the safety of those in their units.
However, given the silliness of this campaign season where flag pins are considered a necessity for being a patriot, a trip seems to be required to appease everyone who has something to say.
If Barack goes, I would recommend he travel without an entourage and a million member press corps. He should go with a military sponsor with ground combat experience. He should meet with officers and enlisted alike. He needs the time to ask questions and to listen to answers and the information he receives should be given to him in confidence so that the uniformed types can speak freely without fear of retribution.
At the end of the day, Barack Obama or John McCain will learn more from a visit to a base in the USA where men and women can speak with some reflection and some distance from the deployment worries. Most importantly, both will learn as much about the demands of these two wars from the families of those serving than will be learned from a trip overseas. And what is learned will clarify for one and all, why we cannot continue with the demands of deployment and multiple tours with insufficient time between tours regardless of the politics of the moment.
June 17th, 2008 at 1:42 pm