He made a speech in which he flat out opposes any war with Iran. Take a listen:
I disagree with some of his characterizations of the Iranian regime (he uses necon framing and rhetoric to make Iran seem far more of a threat to Israel and the US than it actually is), but at least he makes it clear that another war in the Middle East is an option we need to take off the Bush banquet table. Note that when he said Bush is not authorized to go to war with Iran was also when he got his loudest applause from his audience (good folks in Clinton, Iowa, by the way). Something of which other candidates should take note. Democrats and Independents don’t want another war with Iran. When you speak out against the Bush push for military action against Iran, you gain credibility as a potential President, and a candidate for whom people will want to cast their vote, both in the primaries and in the general election.
So I hear the talke but where’s the walk? Introduce a “Sense of the Senate” resolution clarifying that nothing in previous legislation should be construed to give the President the authority to attack Iran. Then let the Senate put their votes on the line.
At least he’s talking. I haven’t heard much from Hillary at all about this lately.
BTW, I don’t support Obama, but it can’t hurt to have one of the Big 3 speaking out against the drumbeat for war with Iran.
Too bad Obama voted for the Senate resolution censuring Iran for killing American soldiers. He is like Hillary: he talks one way and votes another.
Kos has a new diary comparing Obama with Chris Dodd:
I agree that Dodd is better than Hillary or Obama, but sadly he gets little or no facetime with the TV fluffers, and is lumped in with the rest of the “third tier” candidates (Edwards being a second tier of one). It’s a sad commentary on our politics that Clinton or Obama are seen as near locks to capture the nomination.
That said, I think you need to reward people when they do use their soapbox for opposing further wars. I’d love it if all the candidates started trumpeting an anti Iran war message.
I think you need to reward people when they do use their soapbox for opposing further wars.
Sigh.
I wish I lived in a world where it was accepted practice to punish people who use their soapbox to try to start further wars instead. Obama’s comments should really be the MINIMUM we expect from presidential candidates.
Sadly I live in the real world, where its more likely that one of the GOP candidates will get rewarded for demanding that we start a new war, rather than insisting on trying to clean up the mess with the two we already have.
I agree with everything you say. I’m just tired of hearing Obama speak. I watched that clip Arthur posted of his “questioning” Petraeus. Obama actually said that he didn’t want to “relitigate” whether the US should have invaded Iraq.
Normal people don’t talk like that. I think he is as much out of touch with people outside the Beltway as Hillary is.
I don’t see how someone so relatively young could have come not to stand for anything so quickly. He acts and talks as if he’s been in the Senate for 30 years, as opposed to being a first-term senator.
AS tou can see-Talk is cheap. If, as everyone seems to think (excluding me) congerssional action re withdrawl just does not have the votes, then how about Katrina sen Obama? Don’t talk the talk on this. Get your ass down there once a week Sen. Wa;lk the walk. Claim it as your flagship. Stand up in that shit hole called the Senate and every morning when you have morning business- call those “club” members and invite them to go with you!Embarass their asses. Do whatever you can sen Obama.