Obama Tells McCain: War In Iraq Didn't Start In 2007

A key moment in the debate, when Obama called McCain out on Iraq:

Obama: So John, you like to pretend like the war started in 2007. You talk about the "surge," the war started in 2003. At the time, when the war started, you said it was going to be quick and easy. You said you knew where the weapons of mass destruction were -- and you were wrong. You said we were going to be greeted as liberators -- you were wrong. You said that there was no history of violence between Shi'a and Sunni, and you were wrong. ...if the question is, who is best equipped as the next president to make good decisions about how we use our military, how we make sure we are prepared and ready for the next conflict, then I think we can take a look at our judgment.

Watch:

Comments

[research]

The Iraq War Crime was based on lies.

The violence spun out of control in 2005.

We doubled the number of troops, killed 10 times the Iraqis per year as before, and we got back to level of violence above the years before 2005.

You Can't win a War Crime.

[pupbayer]

So it is bad that McC bought the WMD info and voted for the war. It is bad that HRC bought the WMD info and voted for the war. But it is OK that B iden bought the WMD info and voted for the war. Got it.

[pennsykid2000]

The trail of McCain"s bad judgment on Iraq starts here:
"But the fact is, I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But any military man worth his salt is going to have to prepare for any contingency, but I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991."
John McCain, Sept 15, 2002
"I think the victory will be rapid, within about three weeks."
John McCain, Jan, 2003
"I'm confident we're on the right course."
John McCain, Mar 2003
"It's clear that the end is very much in sight...It won't be long. It, it'll be a fairly short period of time."
John McCain, April 9, 2003
"Well, then why was there a banner that said "Mission Accomplished" on the aircraft carrier?"
John McCain, responding to assertion by Fox News' Neil Cavuto that "many argue the conflict isn't over, June 11, 2003

[123dee]

Obama will bring us world peace and prosperity.

------------PEACE ON EARTH GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN - that will be our motto
not just a seasonal greeting on a card.

[pupbayer]

LOL!!!

[BarackMarley]

What about McCain being wrong on the cold war. 20 years later he's still calling Bin Laden's Mujahadeen 'Freedom Fighters' in the debate

Read About it Here
http://newsone.com/elections/article/mccain-called-bin-laden-a-freedom-fighters

[CalifroniaMark]

Barack Obama was knowledgeable and interactive and was on his game regarding facts and connecting very well and I thought He surpassed expectations regarding foreign policy.


John McCain was knowledgeable concerning dates, names, times but was lost of most facts. McCain was impatient when it wasn't about Him and too forceful and angry when it was His turn to speak. I thought McCain was there only for his political survival and could care less about the issues or connecting with viewers or Their issues.

McCain is very impulsive and that concerns me greatly. Mostly everything He has done over the past few weeks was done with a shoot first then ask questions attitude. Choosing Sarah Palin when He did not know Her or Her background. Suddenly suspending the campaign and saying He would not show up... and then did. Putting out an ad saying He won when the debate had not even happened yet, to name a few. I find him extremely concerning especially when it comes to war and How He may lose it and suddenly go blow something up. And I thought McCain just broke even on a subject That He was suppose to have the home court advantage on.

[anleyang]

Obama is great and told you so.

http://myrealitytelevision.com/2008/09/obama-versus-mccain-iraq-war/

[FaceYourFears]

Sen O bama is my HERO!

[globalcitizenlinda]

Obama did an excellent job of highlighting how wrong McLobbyist and his fellow bushiets and neocons were in getting us into the Iraq mess.

In my mind this pointed exchange from Obama showing how wrong McSame was is the highlight of the debate.

The Iraq war is Bush AND McCain's war and it was wrong

[FrankDavisPoet]

McCain nailed Obama on the economic front and the foreign policy front.
In simple debate scores that's plain. McCain won hands down.

Examples: On spending.
Obama's $932M or 1 Million dollars a day for everyday Obama's been in the senate.

MCCAIN: Senator Obama suspended those requests for pork-barrel projects after he was running for president of the United States. He didn't happen to see that light during the first three years as a member of the United States Senate, $932 million in requests.
FYI - what are the earmarks for? Some examples:
Earmarks for ACORN: A leftist group notoriously found guilty of fradulent voter registration drives.
Earmarks for The Chicago Annenburg Challenge founded by terrorist Bill Ayers. An indoctrination apparatus
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTgwZTVmN2QyNzk2MmUxMzA5OTg0ODZlM2Y2OGI0NDM=

To paraphrase McCain:
Obama stopped and "saw the light" when he started running for president, rather than doing the job
he was elected to do. McCain effectively underscored Obama's lack of qualifications to assume high command.
Obama doesn't even perform his current duties. This was a consistent and effective theme of McCains rejoinders to Obama and it kept Obama on defense.
Obama's main defense: He lies..
McCain's: His sparse record underscores lack of achievement and his overt liberalism. The record speaks.

Obama supporters:
Please provide 3 substantive achievements of Obama's that UNIQUELY qualify him to be president.
These qualifications MUST be actual significant accomplishments.

I really want to know.

[honeydiva]

No you don't. you've made up your mind and we've made up ours....look at the polls you people love to tout (i don't believe in them) and see where it stands today. it's your logic.

[NoonienSpock]

One of 08ama's accomplishments that I really like is his Constitutional Law professorship. It will be _so_ reassuring to have a president who is familiar with this document.

[pupbayer]

He was an instructor, not a professor. Are you saying all teaches of Constitutional law are suitable to be President? You don't know many, do you?

[research]

It's you GOP folks who are the liears, deceivers war mongers and borrow and spend budget busters. The GOP BushCo crowd come with McCain. With all their worse than useless experience in destroying everything America stands for.

[Rossan]

Obama told McCain the truth & McCain decided to keep railing on about war, and never answering the questions. I think McCain is really 4 more years of George Bush disguised. Obama get's my vote!

[Pdubya]

The Debate in a Nutshell
Posted by James Ostrowski at September 27, 2008 08:00 AM
McBama favors the Billionaire Bailout.
McBama won't say what programs have to be cut to pay for the Billionaire Bailout.
McBama thinks "we should never hesitate to use military force."
McBama wants to escalate the other unwinnable "land war in Asia" (Afghanistan).
McBama is not sure about whether to start a third unwinnable land war in Asia, against nuclear power Pakistan.
McBama would go to war against Iran for the sake of Israel if necessary. He is not sure if he wants to talk with the Iranians before bombing them.
McBama thinks that Russia is the villain in Georgia.
And the winner of the debate is: Ron Paul, who said recently that there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties.

www.lewrockwell.com

[jankvkleve]

In all the talk about "the surge," McCain and others tend to ignore a few basic facts:
The "Sunni Awakening" was under way before the military surge began.
The cease fire declared by al Sadr may well have done more to reduce coalition deaths than did our increased military aggression.
The Iraqi people are just plain tired of constant fighting and many of them say that the quickest way to end it is for us to take ourselves out of the mix.
Lastly, Iraqis are not stupid. They see that our military is still in Japan, still in South Korea, still in Germany. We would still be in the Philippines if it were not for a combination of natural calamity and local animosity. We"re like a weed that"s hard to get rid of once it"s rooted. You can imagine the collective national shudder when McCain talks about being there for 100 years.

[middlemanri]

This was a huge point in the debate. My feeling is that Obama did something here that eluded McCain all night. He looked him in the eye and called him out. Obama was so Presidential and so direct compared to and
angry, petulant McCain that this moment showed best who the real world leader was on that stage. I expect the big news this week will be and announcement by McCain that Palin is stepping down and will not be making the debate thursday. The "Drama" will continue! John, don't quit your day job.

[Willow712]

I personally know two Vietnam POWs. They are both angry, alcoholic, and dangerous. One has many dysfunctional relationships, the other has a very downtrodden sad wife. I would certainly say that being a POW does not guarantee good judgment or functional living. I would perhaps say the opposite.