Obama: Al-Qaeda is not — where?
posted at 6:55 pm on April 10, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Barack Obama has a problem when he gets off script. In Gary, Indiana, Obama wants to make the point that al-Qaeda needs to be pursued, but in Pakistan. Unfortunately. Obama almost makes a big mistake, and the walk-back isn’t exactly effective:
Note the problem Obama creates for himself in this stumble. He stopped just short of saying that al-Qaeda isn’t in Iraq. He wanted to say it, but he stopped himself, and for good reason — al-Qaeda is in Iraq. Saying otherwise would have made him look ill-informed, and he knows it. He corrects himself to say that AQ senior leadership isn’t in Iraq.
Given that, and given his buildup of warning how great a strategic danger AQ presents to the US, then why does Obama want to retreat from Iraq? We’re trying to take down the whole network. An effective strategy would have us fighting them in Iraq and in the Pakistan/Afghanistan theater — which we’re doing now. We managed to fight two wars simultaneously in 1941-1945 on much larger scales than we face today. If he can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, should he really be Commander in Chief? (via Jim Geraghty)
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I blame Karl Rove
Defector01 on April 10, 2008 at 6:58 PM
He’s a featherweight and shows it more and more as time goes by.
Zorro on April 10, 2008 at 6:59 PM
Don’t question the Enlightened One’s foreign policy credentials.
tomk59 on April 10, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Good time for a LOLcat.
Vizzini on April 10, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Here in the SF BAy area there are lots of high end cars sporting Obama stickers, when I see them I think those people are either
1) Not paying attention and thinking that they are being all chic and progressive or
2) They really want a radical commie with no real clue running our country into the ground.
Either way they are seriously insane IMHO.
bbz123 on April 10, 2008 at 7:01 PM
I see White people.
SouthernGent on April 10, 2008 at 7:02 PM
And we were worried about McCain’s goof about Al-Qaeda?
darclon on April 10, 2008 at 7:02 PM
So, are we back to the “Let’s invade Pakistan” version of the Obamatron 2008?
Tony737 on April 10, 2008 at 7:03 PM
This dolt is frightening.
rplat on April 10, 2008 at 7:03 PM
Heh, the repercussions of the verbal smack down of McCain’s “I’ve got some news for the Senator” comment. Takes away a handy little sound byte from Obama that plays oh so well with the left’s base. He’s dying to say AQ isnt in Iraq, and he stepped in it even further when he said he’d pull out of Iraq but go back in if AQ establishes any bases there.
Dash on April 10, 2008 at 7:03 PM
He can’t say on the one hand we need to go after al-Qaeda and at the same time advocate leaving Iraq where al-Qaeda has concentrated most (many? some?) of their forces.
Well, he can; but it’s contradictory.
In order to sound tough, he advocates “shifting the battlefield from Iraq to Afghanistan and Pakistan” (here).
‘Course, he doesn’t explain how exactly he plans to go after al-Qaeda in Pakistan. Presumably, since he’s critical of the Administration’s approach, it will involve more than Predator missiles fired from drones.
But not really. His statements on Pakistan and al-Qaeda are just smoke. He doesn’t mean it.
SteveMG on April 10, 2008 at 7:04 PM
MCains slow deliberate speaking cadance will throw Obama off his slick PASTOR like delivery.
He will insert one foot then the other over and over again.
TroubledMonkey on April 10, 2008 at 7:09 PM
He stopped just short of saying that al-Qaeda isn’t in Iraq.
Well, there’s not many of them left there now, since the U.S./Iraqi/Allied Forces have killed most of them, so maybe Obama’s got a point.
Hmmmm…
Nah.
Tony737 on April 10, 2008 at 7:09 PM
It’s all in what Obama can get the Nutroots to believe in.
William Teach on April 10, 2008 at 7:09 PM
AlQwaayeeda is in Massatoosits, I think.
benrand on April 10, 2008 at 7:11 PM
William Teach, I was just looking at your blog, I hadn’t heard anything about the Iraqi Air Force being involved in the Basra fight anywhere in the media, thanks for that info. I wish it had said what they were flying though.
Tony737 on April 10, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Last I heard, they were in Okinawa.
RedWinged Blackbird on April 10, 2008 at 7:17 PM
False Prophet; NO DOUBT heh heh.
mjkazee on April 10, 2008 at 7:23 PM
PBoilermaker on April 10, 2008 at 7:29 PM
Maybe Mr. Obama should take his head out of his rectum and take a look at a map every now and then……..
Yeah, let’s just concentrate on Pakistan…….
Seven Percent Solution on April 10, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Let’s see if we see this on the evening news like we saw McCain. People in front of a mic all day make mistakes, what is important is if the flubs display a tendency…which I’m more than willing to admit for both Obama and McCain. Does McCain believe Iran is helping both Sunni and Shia groups in Iraq just to muss things up regardless of sectarian spilts? He had better. Does Obama think Iraq has nothing to do with AQ? I’d guess he does.
bekarlss on April 10, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Honestly, I think he just got his words confused. Making a big deal about it makes us just as bad as those on the left that take everything the Republicans say out or proportion.
antoniojvr on April 10, 2008 at 7:39 PM
I blame the Teleprompter. When he gets off script he becomes all vacuous.
tarpon on April 10, 2008 at 7:42 PM
He is like a baby bird without his mother when he is away from the teleprompter – lost.
jencab on April 10, 2008 at 7:52 PM
My typo: Hellfire missiles not Predator missiles.
SteveMG on April 10, 2008 at 7:54 PM
The chickens are roosting in Massatoosits.
The chickens are roosting in Massatoosits.
I repeat…
The chickens are roosting in Massatoosits.
benrand on April 10, 2008 at 8:06 PM
The entire democratic primary process is to take out Hillary for voting for the war. Obama is the result and Moveon.org was one of his earliest endorsers. Gotta love it.
JAW on April 10, 2008 at 8:13 PM
You don’t just defeat an enemy from the top down, you defeat him from the bottom up. Take the leaders away from the minions while you’re taking the minions away from the leaders.
flipflop on April 10, 2008 at 8:14 PM
Hussein Obama = vacuous BS artist with a slick delivery style for his long list of platitudes; an empty suit.
.
Rodham Clinton = amoral, corrupt, congenital liar who’d do or say anything to get elected; an empty dress.
DavePa on April 10, 2008 at 8:14 PM
The Messiah’s two faces are showing.
For the suckers (disappointingly Camille Paglia is among his donors and supporters) Barack spouts one leaderlike line:
“! will end this war!“.
While, for the less-starry-eyed folks who watch his lips more closely, Obama hedges and mealymouths, asduring the recent Petraeus-Crocker hearing when he said:
“We don’t want a preciptitous withdrawal.”
Which is it Obumble?
Pandering to the gullibly HOPEful?
Or just CHANGEing his tune, as the audience requires, like the usual political hack?
The empty suit is obviously reversible.
profitsbeard on April 10, 2008 at 8:17 PM
My fave Barry Obama line is when he talks about “the hills between Afghanistan and Pakistan”. Some of those “hills” have summits that are 20,000 feet or more above sea level. Go a little further to the north and east, and the “hills” turn into real mountains, like Nanga Parbat and K2, both of which are harder to climb than Mt. Everest.
For our friends on the Left, the word “summit” refers to the highest point on a given land mass, not a meeting between world leaders.
Del Dolemonte on April 10, 2008 at 8:18 PM
The link no longer works. Whassup wid dat?
mogilla on April 10, 2008 at 8:42 PM
Check that. Must be a bad connection. Sorry.
mogilla on April 10, 2008 at 8:43 PM
Fixed it
sondiehl on April 10, 2008 at 8:50 PM
If you can find the transcript of Petraeus’ testimony it should be in the questioning about Basra’s “desertions”. He did describe what they flew in air support and I think it was most all of the support. You can imagine that wasn’t well received by the Inquisitor! I can’t remember which committee hearing it was though.
Texas Gal on April 10, 2008 at 8:59 PM
Obama in Gary, Indiana part of my old stomping grounds..
Chakra Hammer on April 10, 2008 at 9:23 PM
Hint to the Leftist MSM: Ignore what Obama almost said just keep harping on the false premise that McCain doesn’t know the difference between sunni and shia. Sheeeesh
HawaiiLwyr on April 10, 2008 at 9:34 PM
I am going with
3.) retarded moonbat idiots .
I notice in Sonoma county nobama stickers are on old Audis held together with hippy bumper stickers as I travel down 101 I start seeing more in marina on big ticket cars { which they might be able to afford after nobamas raises their taxes and then it’s off to san fruitcisco and the nuts run that asylum.
Mojack420 on April 10, 2008 at 9:42 PM
Nice mix of colors in the crowd this time.
shooter on April 10, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Like I’ve said before, if McCain loses to this lightweight, either McCain is incompetent, or a large portion of the American people are idiots.
p40tiger on April 10, 2008 at 9:45 PM
He stumbles when he speaks. That must mean he’s an idiot (according to what I’ve heard for the last eight years).
When is the book on “Obamaisms” comming out? Where are the youtube videos by liberals concerned that we might get a stuttering fool for a president?
29Victor on April 10, 2008 at 9:51 PM
p40tiger; if McCain loses to Obama, it’ll be because he was too worried about “being nice” and running a “clean campaign”.
tomk59 on April 10, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Mainly Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, aka al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia, aka al-Qaeda in Iraq, aka AQI is in Iraq.
MB4 on April 10, 2008 at 9:59 PM
Leaving Iraq is not the same as retreating from Iraq.
We had a giant Army in WWII. Now we have a very small army, not even close to half the size we had even during RVN.
The CIC is not the one who has to “walk and chew gum at the same time”.
In 2004, in a little-noted speech, Cody described the Army’s efforts to adapt to its new commitments. (It was attempting to fight terrorism, quell the Taliban, invade and pacify Iraq, and, at the same time, prepare for future strategic challenges, whether in China or Korea or Africa.) The endeavor was, Cody said, like “building an airplane in flight.” Last week, the General appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and testified that this method of engineering has failed. “Today’s Army is out of balance,” Cody said. He continued: The current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply, and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies. . . . Soldiers, families, support systems and equipment are stretched and stressed. . . . Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it. If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the all-volunteer force and degrades the Army’s ability to make a timely response to other contingencies.
P.S. General Cody is not one of those LTOL’s (Loons Telling Outrages Lies). In fact: General Richard A. Cody graduated from West Pointin 1972, flew helicopters, ascended to command the storied 101stAirborne Division, and then, toward the end of his career, settled intomanagement; now, at fifty-seven, he wears four stars as the Army Vice-Chief of Staff.
MB4 on April 10, 2008 at 10:10 PM
So? AQ senior leadership isn’t in America either but we still defend against it, and go after any little fish that might be here.
Egad this guy is as vacuous as most other surrendercrats.
91Veteran on April 10, 2008 at 10:10 PM
“Vacuous” seems to be the buzzword for this thread.
SouthernGent on April 10, 2008 at 10:19 PM
91Veteran on April 10, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Great minds and all that, just like vacuous.
91Veteran on April 10, 2008 at 10:22 PM
That would be the latter based on historical data.. RE: 2000 and 2004 Presidential election. And the idiot factor has had four years to grow.
Texas Gal on April 10, 2008 at 10:24 PM
This rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion my adversaries are
insaneidiots [updated].- Mark Twain
MB4 on April 10, 2008 at 10:32 PM
What a fucking idiot.
Jaibones on April 10, 2008 at 11:30 PM
Even the slick can slip.
Tzetzes on April 10, 2008 at 11:33 PM
Why aren’t women fainting in the crowd anymore?
UnEasyRider on April 10, 2008 at 11:56 PM
Tony737…
I’m in Basrah so I can comment on the Iraqi Air Force. They have and use about a half dozen helicopters that are both American-made and Russian-built. They use several small fixed-wing planes for support and surveilance and they’ve got a couple C130′s they use for troop transport to/from Baghdad.
The combination of American and Iraqi forces have completely stifled the insurgent activity around here. We used to have almost daily rocket attacks in our camp and since the militia decided to confront the US military, they have been totally overwhelmed and not a single attack on camp in over 2 weeks.
The local Basrah residents finally have a cellphone/internet system where they can now turn in insurgents/militia to the police with complete anonimity. They’re reportedly receiving hundreds of calls/emails a day and the ‘bad guys’ are being rounded up in record numbers.
JetBlast on April 11, 2008 at 2:08 AM
The senior al Qaeda leadership wasn’t in the US for 9/11. The senior al Qaeda leadership weren’t in Bali. They weren’t in Spain. They weren’t in London. They haven’t been in Iraq.
Hasn’t Obama read the intelligence reports? The reports that say that al Qaeda’s success doesn’t rely on whether or not Osama bin Laden and the elite within the organization are dead or alive? If we take out Osama, some reject will pop up to replace him. We’re fighting an ideology, not people.
Seixon on April 11, 2008 at 3:39 AM
Were lucky that he spent time oversea as a child. He should have been paying more attention as a adult. He is a pup.
Mike Mose on April 11, 2008 at 7:34 AM
Relax.
.
.
Give the guy a break…..
.
.
It was only 2:45am.
.
.
subbottomfeeder on April 11, 2008 at 8:56 AM
Actually…..
I don’t know what to believe.
I don’t think I can actually know what Obama or Clinton would do if they were actually in office.
I have No idea.
I can’t trust a thing they speak of.
I’m so confused.
bridgetown on April 11, 2008 at 9:40 AM