Why Did Obama Change Positions on Iraq?
It has been documented in National Review Online by Peter Wehner that Barack Obama, far from always taking the same position on the war in Iraq, has in fact taken different positions at different times—don't go in, stay in, get out, roughly in order.
Now comes Belmont Club blogger Richard Fernandez with a Pajamas Media blog post suggesting, though not quite charging, that Obama's changes in position were prompted by concern for his longtime patron and friend Tony Rezko, who sought a contract to build a $150 million power plant in Iraqi Kurdistan with some help from a couple of Chicago-based Iraqi-Americans.
It's a story that is, I think, worth the attention of investigative journalists. At the same time, one can imagine other reasons for Obama to change from opposing a timetable to leave Iraq in June 2006 and support of such a timetable in November 2006, besides the rejection of the contract proposal in between. Like the 2006 election results, after which it became pretty clear that a Democratic presidential candidate, particularly one with the asset (for the primary season at least) of having opposed the Iraq war in 2002, would have a much better chance of winning the party's nomination if he came out for a timetable for withdrawal. That might not have seemed such a mandatory position to take five months earlier. That's not a noble motive for Obama's switch, but it's less stomach-crunching than the one Fernandez suggests.
Tags: Iraq war (2003-) | Barack Obama
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Reader Comments
in regards to the previous comment...
yeah, there were a few typos there, but if u read it, it genuinely makes you think...
obama's weak positions on any topic
The bottom line, is that Obama changes his mind constantly. He stole the majority of his economic plans from Hillary Clinton, and lets face it, arent his plans for the economy the only strengths he seems to have?
The facts are: Obama changed his opinion on the way. whether or not he "learned" more about the war, he either lacks the confidence and dignity to stand for what he beleives, or he is simply changing his mind to say what he thinks the people want. last time I checked want that called making campaign promises?
oh, and what about offshore drilling? Obama was strongly against it, but now... they say he has "softened" his standpoint. I beleive it is apparent that he is weak when it comes to decision making, and even weaker when it comes to standing by his decisions under pressure.
here is no way for us to know what the true intentions of our candidates are, and what they will actually do when they get into office. One thing that is important to me, at least, for our president, is that he knows what he beleives is.
It is pretty transparent that Obama is just another greesy politician trying to get in hands on more power.
Barack Obama
HE is a good president but should change his view on life for people. But he has to be a better listener wheen it comes to the war in iraq. so he should be a the president of the united states.......
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