Why Doesn't Barack Obama Get Credit For Opposing The Iraq War Resolution?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

If experience is synonymous with wisdom why did wily Senate veterans like John Kerry, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Joe Biden, Evan Bayh , etcetera support the Iraq War Resolution...

Could it be because the war was popular at the time and they were concerned about their political viability?

[rodeodance]

1. He was not in the Senate at the time of the vote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. He Made Speeches Against It Is As An Illinois State Senator

eom

[WCGreen]

2. Because Barak could...

He wasn't elected then....

He wasn't even considered a threat to win the Senate...

That's why no one of higher stature stepped into the race in 04...

Remember, he ran against Alan Keyes...

It's much easier to oppose something when you...

Much harder when you have too...

So, I am not taking anything away from him...

Let's see how he votes over the next twelve months...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Beating Alan Keyes Isn't Much More Difficult Than Beating Bu$h IMHO...

eom

[Eric J in MN]

13. The entire force of the Republicans behind an incumbent president...

...is no more challenging than running against a talk radio host from out-of-state who wants to be Senator in a solidly Democratic state?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. Alan Keyes' I Q>>>>> Bush's I Q

[mike_c]

4. what about the dems who actually had the courage to vote NO...?

NOT ONE OF THEM has suffered any political consequences for their vote. In fact, several are about to be promoted to powerful committee chairs. If "John Kerry, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Joe Biden, Evan Bayh," etc voted for the war because "they were concerned about their political viability" then events have proven even that canard was a disasterous miscalculation. They were wrong by any measure one wants to use-- wrong about the substance of the IWR, wrong about the politics, wrong about the path they led America along.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

6. what you said.

:toast: MKJ

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. The Ones Who Voted No Have A Clean Conscience As Their Reward...

eom

[mike_c]

9. yes, but my point is that the ones who voted yes have no refuge....

Not even their imagined political fears. And do we really want leadership that makes the decision to start an illegal war of aggression based on political triangulation?

As for Obama, I am very pleased that he opposed the invasion of Iraq before he joined the Senate. I want to see how he works to end it now that he is in.

[splat]

8. Why don't you and I? (What's 'credit' look like?) n/t

[dogman]

10. I gave him credit for his opposition when I voted for him as Senator.

Then he shook my faith when he voted to confirm Rice. What a slap in the face to those of us against the Iraq War. He's not on my short list now. Neither are those you mention. Of course that makes my short list really short.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. I Don't Remember The Rice Vote Total...

I suspect most senators voted for Rice...

[dogman]

15. I'm only concerned with his vote.

My other Senator voted against.

[Eric J in MN]

11. He does. NT

NT

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. I don't think that really deserves much credit.

Supporting it deserves a lot of shame, but I don't give much credit for opposing something so obviously ba.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. It's Amazing How Many Democratic Senators Supported It...

eom

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. It's a shame.

[bridgit]

18. i think after 9/11 it was clear action was called for, though when these...

people we otherwise hold in high esteem voted for the resolution, they were not voting to sanction the insanity of g.w. bush being unreleased without oversight onto an unsuspecting world

[dogman]

20. That doesn't say much about their judgement.

I believe they lacked the courage. Political windsocks.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. Exactly...

At least Joe Lieberman believed in the efficacy of the war...

Kerry, Edwards, Clinton, et all voted for it because they thought it would be successful and they wanted to be on the right side of the issue...


But some obscure Illinois state senator (Obama) saw it was folly from its conception....

[bridgit]

25. that's true enough, their judgments about bush have been off by leagues...

about bush & what he was capable of in particular, in that sense they should have never put a stick into his hands

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. I Know You're Not Linking Saddam To 9-11

But attacking Iraq because OBL was behind the 9-11 attacks would be akin to America declaring war on China because Japan attacked Pearl Harbor....


I think Bu$h attacked Iraq because it sounded like Iran and he got the two mixed up but what's the excuse of all the Democratic senators that supported him...

[bridgit]

23. no, imo it started with Afghanistan which is still hanging out there somewhere...

unfinished & getting near it's tipping point, the whole thing was merely a pretext for this cheney/bush junta to act-out, i fault many though for being civil to a fault for presuming bush would never have done such a thing...that has proven to be a gross miscalculation

[DemocratSinceBirth]

24. You can make a decent case for invading Afghanistan...

Invading Iraq was the height of folly...


What a waste of precious life and capital....

[bridgit]

26. that's not possible to disagree with...

peace :)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

27. The Sad Thing Is We Will Leave Iraq Sooner Or Later...

And we will leave it infinitely worse than we found it...


And all the posturing by Bush and his ever dwindling band of supporters can not do a damn thing about it...


In the current issue of Vanity Fair they have a Mount Rushmore of political losers with Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George Bush...

[bridgit]

28. i'm say'n...i think the lid on Pandora's box has only just been cracked a bit...

i think the real geopolitical hell is broiling, fomenting, metastasizing at this very moment no thanks to this bush kid & his whims & fancies