Obama to Give Major Policy Speech on Iraq

[illinoisprogressive]

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama plans to make a major policy speech on Iraq when he comes to Clinton, Iowa, Wednesday, a Democratic official who’s familiar with the campaign’s plans said Sunday...

The address on Iraq, the official said, will include new policy proposals on troop withdrawals, diplomacy in Iraq and the region and ideas about what to do about the humanitarian crisis in Iraq. He’ll also talk about his ideas for U.S. leadership in the region after the war, the official said.

In January, Obama announced a plan to begin a troop withdrawal that was to have begun by last May. The goal was to have combat brigades out of the country by March 31, 2008.

Obama will be accompanied on this trip by Zbigniew Brezezinski, the national security adviser for Jimmy Carter. Brezezinski announced his support for Obama last month

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/group/ObamaHQ/

[saltpoint]

1. And very likely well worth the listen.

The man has a gift.

[Kagemusha]

2. Kos has been butchering him for not wearing his heart on his website.

If Obama's saving it for a speech, great.

[Colobo]

3. Gobama! Impress the non-believers!

[David Zephyr]

4. I'm looking forward to it. Barack needs to start swinging now.

Obama and Kucinich have the high ground on Iraq. I listen when they speak.

[global1]

5. I Gotta Give Barack Credit.....

he is willing to go out and make his ideas known and not just be all things to all people. I'm sure that he'll get criticized for some of what he'll say in this major policy speech - but at least he's putting out possible solutions. Some of the other candidates are taking the wimp way out and not committing themselves - for fear that they'll say the wrong thing. Barack is willing to take that chance and I give him a lot of credit for that.

[jillan]

6. I'm more interested in hearing what he is going to say to

Petraeus tomorrow in the hearing.

[saltpoint]

7. That's because you're an intelligent, perceptive and evolved human being.

The person who doesn't want to hear what Obama has to say to Petraeus is Petraeus.

Howdy, pirhana. Always a pleasure.:dem: :hi:

[jillan]

12. Haha!

Do you realize that tomorrow Petraeus has to face:

Biden
Kerry
Obama
Boxer
Hagel
Feingold

I am so looking forward to this!:popcorn:

[saltpoint]

14. Yes. Any of them alone would be formidable. I note Obama on that

list, the subject of the thread, and some other names on there also of people I love alot in American politics.

In his hotel room this evening, it wouldn't surprise me if David Petraeus is hooked up to an IV heroin drip.

[sandnsea]

8. I'm interested in both --

I saw Biden on CSpan earlier, I see why you like him. He was very personable and it reminded me of 2003 when people would come to Kerry with the woes of the world and expect them to be solved. If Biden would just stick by his tough talk with legislation, or a vote. That's what has always bugged me about him. I can see him coming up from behind though, if everybody goes ABH at the last minute. I'm hoping they all hit Petraeus harder tomorrow than the House did today.

[saltpoint]

11. I think David Petraeus knows his Tuesday isn't going to be as smooth as his

Monday.

He'll load up on Zoloft and head over to Biden's Committee.

Uncle Joe asks tough questions.

[jillan]

17. Boxer is my favorite in these hearings.

She is relentless!

[saltpoint]

19. I'm with you all the way on that. Boxer is just terrific.

[jillan]

20. You'll have to explain that to me someday

about Biden not backing up his tough talk with his legislation or his votes.
I don't see that. But - I'm whipped, this discussion will have to wait.

In many ways Biden reminds me of Kerry - both statesmen, both experienced, both talk in too much detail - but for those of us that enjoy depth are opened to new ways of thinking, and they are two men of a very small group that I would trust to lead this country esp in foreign affairs.

I am really looking forward to tomorrow.
The best of the best will be there :)

edit for typo

[AtomicKitten]

9. Obama is smart to define himself before the opposition does.

I am looking forward to this most important policy speech.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Looking forward to it.

[illinoisprogressive]

13. With Zbig Bzrezinski with him at this speech there is no way things can get twisted or

the media paint him as naive and inexperienced or over his head. this time they have to hear it, report it for real and who are they going to quibble with? the dean, the emminence of Foreign policy??? Just let them try.
obama is smart to slowly keep rolling out the people and the policy more defined. He is slowly driving the steamroller. he knows what he's doing.

[saltpoint]

15. Two close friends, county Democrats in a large southern State, agree with

you about Senator Obama's strategy.

The slow windup before the hard fastball smokin' across the heart of the plate.

I watched the always-pathetic Alan Keyes try to upend the Obama team in Illinois for just a few days, and left to go home absolutely convinced that Obama is a wizard.

This fall is going to be a barnburner no matter how ya stack it.

[TwilightGardener]

16. Agree--he runs a very proactive campaign, and seems to be

in the driver's seat in terms of shaping the debate, at least on foreign policy.

[Colobo]

18. People should listen to him!