Democrat Election Talking Points

[Tam]

October 21, 2011 12:23 PM PrintText
Obama announces end of Iraq war, troops to return home by year end

President Obama announced Friday that the United States will withdraw nearly all troops from Iraq by the end of the year, effectively bringing the long and polarizing war in Iraq to an end.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," said Mr. Obama.

He said the last American troops will depart the country by January 1 "with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops."

Nope no mention of Bush's agreement, it was all Obama. :wink: :roll:
But three days later.

Obama living up to Bush's terms on Iraq withdrawal, spokesman says

October 24, 2011|By Michael Muskal | Los Angeles Times

The Obama administration is finding some new political cover by invoking the Bush administration after Republican presidential hopefuls stepped up their attacks on the president's announcement that the United States would withdraw its troops from Iraq by year's end.

Relations between any presidential administration and its predecessor are never easy, especially when they represent different parties and sharply dissimilar philosophies as is the case between the presidencies of Barack Obama and George W. Bush. On the economic front, the Obama administration has long argued that the deep political hole it inherited from the Bush years has caused a big part of the president's current woes.

In a briefing with reporters aboard Air Force One, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney cited the Bush administration as he fielded a question about the GOP response to the announced troop withdrawal from Iraq. It was Bush who launched the Iraq campaign when he called Iraq part of the axis of evil that threatened the United States and said it was linked to international terrorism and wanted to acquire weapons of mass destruction. Both claims were questioned by critics, especially after no such major weapons were recovered during the more than eight years of the U.S.-led war.

In a question, a reporter described the Republicans as accusing Obama as acting "based on political motivations and just sort of sheer ineptitude." Carney fired back that the commitment to withdraw by the end of the year was part of an agreement "signed by the Iraqi government and the Bush administration.

"So in response to the criticism, I just have to ask, you know, what country are they living in? What planet are they living on," Carney said of the Republicans.

"Because, again, this president has — from the very beginning when he ran for office, he made clear what he wanted to do in Iraq, which was end this war responsibly in a way that was in the best interests of the United States. He made clear from the beginning that he would keep the commitment made by the Bush administration with the sovereign Iraqi government to withdraw all U.S. forces by the end of 2011," he said.

Lest anyone miss the connection, Carney later went back to the Bush administration a third time, wondering what the Republicans wanted.

"Are they suggesting that we violate an agreement that's signed by the Bush administration with the sovereign government of Iraq? That we keep troops there without the consent and agreement of the Iraqi government?" Carney said.

six months later

Biden calls Romney too rooted in Cold War thinking
By Beth Fouhy
The Associated PressAssociated Press
Posted: 04/27/2012 12:00:00 AM PDT

Vice President Joe Biden discussses foreign policy Thursday at New York University. He repeatedly called Mitt Romney out on the issue, such as when Romney said Russia is Washington's gravest geopolitical foe. (Michael Appleton, The New York Times)NEW YORK — Vice President Joe Biden delivered a harsh attack Thursday on Mitt Romney's foreign-policy views, arguing that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is rooted in a Cold War mentality and is uninformed about the current challenges facing the U.S. abroad.

In a campaign speech delivered at New York University Law School, Biden laid out a robust defense of President Barack Obama's foreign-policy record while eviscerating Romney for lacking vision and for "distorting" Obama's record in a way that has been counterproductive to U.S. interests.

"If you're looking for a bumper sticker to sum up how President Obama has handled what we inherited, it's pretty simple: Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive," Biden said, saying Obama's decisions on both foreign and domestic policy had made the U.S. safer.

Biden cast the former Massachusetts governor as an inexperienced foreign-policy thinker who would delegate decisions to staff and advisers. He also hit Romney on his reputation for flip-flopping on issues.

"We know when the governor does venture a position, it's a safe bet that he previously took or will take an exactly opposite position," Biden said, noting that Romney had originally supported setting a time frame for pulling U.S. troops from Afghanistan only to later criticize Obama's plan to do so by the end of 2014.

Biden repeatedly used Romney's own words against him, such as when Romney said Russia was

In response, Romney adviser John Lehman accused the president of a "gross abdication of leadership" that could have practical and political consequences.

"Why is the United States under Obama abdicating its leadership for keeping stability in the world?" asked Lehman, Navy secretary in the Reagan administration, during a conference call Romney's campaign arranged with reporters before Biden spoke. "This is a serious crisis and perhaps could be the central issue in the campaign."

Lehman continued: "The Obama administration in a very studied and intentional way is withdrawing from leading the free world and maintaining stability around the world — what Obama calls leading from behind. But the reality is, it's opening up huge new vulnerabilities."

Obama has not described his foreign policy as "leading from behind." Republicans used the phrase to chastise Obama for his handling of last year's uprising in Libya.

Biden recited Obama's foreign-policy achievements, noting that he ordered the attack that killed bin Laden and fulfilled a campaign promise to end the Iraq war. Biden said Obama repaired alliances with other nations, particularly with geopolitical partners in Europe and Asia.

Biden said Obama had adhered to President Teddy Roosevelt's admonition that, on foreign policy, a president should speak softly and carry a big stick.

"I promise you, the president has a big stick," Biden said.

Funny how six months ago Obama announces the end of the war then three days later Carney clarifies he is carrying out BUSH'S AGREEMENT. but now we are back to OBAMA carried out a campaign promise to end the Iraq war. :roll:

Then you look into his claims of taking out Osama and gee could he have done that without the intell that was gathered by the processes BUSH put in place? NO, but you will never hear Obama and his side kicks admitting that part of the story while they spike the ball and do the victory dance in the end zone during the election campaign. They can't as they protested everything Bush did to gather intell in the War on Terror. :roll: They protest Intell gathering so much they just DRONE ATTACK every target so nobody can ask questions. :roll:

And don't get me started on Carney's comment about the Weapons of Mass Destruction not being found in Iraq. Those hypocrite Dems will never admit they lied about the WMD for years BEFORE Bush step foot into Iraq.

Blame Bush and claim all the glory for things set in motion under BUSH.

One more of the Dems talking points that they need to be continually called out on is their claims that Oil Production under Obama is UP. It is up alright but it is IN SPITE OF OBAMA. Oil Production on any Federal land is due to permits processed UNDER BUSH not OBAMA and the rest is on PRIVATE AND STATE LAND where Obama has no say. So for them to lay claim to Oil Production increases is a JOKE, a BAD JOKE, and everyone needs to remind each and very Democrat that tries to use it as a reason to Support Obama of THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH.