Obama Deserves Benefit of the Doubt on Iraq Troop Withdrawal
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
President Obama will, reportedly, soon announce an Iraq withdrawal plan that will get most U.S. troops out of the Middle Eastern quagmire in 18 months (19 months, if you date it from his inauguration). "Most" is a critical and elastic word here: 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will apparently remain that country a bit longer.
There are warnings of grumbling from the left ends of the grassroots: Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination in no small part because of the Iraq war and he promised to get our troops out within 16 months.
Everyone needs to take a deep breath and give the president some room on this one.
We did not elect a plan in November, we elected a man. He had a plan for Iraq, but as importantly he had demonstrated good judgment on Iraq and a host of other issues. Remember: Judgment was the trump over inexperience. So let him judge.
Even the fiercest critics of the Iraq war owe Obama this: Let him announce his plan and then let him make the case for it. By all means ask tough questions. But hold your political fire: At this point he still deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Let the policy play out and see what happens. If it's a bad call we've got plenty of time to turn on Obama and excoriate him for grievous errors. But for right now let's let him do the job for which he was elected.
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Reader Comments
Obama, General Comment
Obama, the socialist, became president of the United States primarily as a result of a hate vote against Bush. Hate doesn't work. Obama, the liberal senator will now try to push his socialistic agenda. We have gotten ourselves into a areal mess. If you voted for Obama, you will only have yourself to blame at a later date when your taxes are through the roof, you are supporting the lazy and your 401K is worthless.
The real problem is that he told us what he was going to do before we elected him and he will do what is required to accomplish his socialistic goals. He being elected only confirms the fact that Americans have reached the height of stupidity and laziness. We are on the road to becoming a huge welfare state. To think that this man was elected as the great savior of this once great country is appalling.
Thank yourself for the havoc this man will reap on America.
Nothing Amazes Me
You know Bob, now that you are officially dumber than a rock, nothing amazes me.
R.L. of CO should realise the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Sean Penn's dad sympathized with the German cause until Hitler began to exterminate Jews. I wonder if being Jewish had anything to do with that? You'd think daddy would have had a talk with his boy. I am of the persuasion who think Barry Soetoro will lead us into World War III. But hey, let's give him the benefit of a doubt. The problem I have is that more people than ever have been duped like Hitler to believe "Darwins" theories on "the preservation of favored races". It ought to be quite interesting to see if they decide to lob some of the "Big" bombs we now have. One third of mankind is prophesied to be killed, but you would have to open-minded enough to read the Bible to know that. Two billion although is a large number don't you think?
???
I thought this information was embargoed until Friday morning...did you break it? I think you did. uncool.
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