Obama on the Iraq Surge

On the eve of Obama's presentation Cheney attacked the President and this led to criticism of Cheney as being un-patriotic, lets see what Obama supported around the time of the surge in Iraq and he was running for president:

From the Washington Times:

Dec 28th 2006 Sen. Barack Obama yesterday joined a chorus of potential Democratic presidential candidates criticizing U.S. policy in Iraq, telling supporters he opposes sending more troops and urging them to send letters to persuade President Bush to change the course of the war.Democrats considering White House bids have spent the past several weeks outlining, clarifying and strengthening their positions on Iraq as Mr. Bush weighs his options.

The president, who met yesterday with key advisers, plans to announce a new strategy for the war early next month. He is thought to favor sending 20,000 to 40,000 additional troops to Baghdad, an idea several Democratic White House prospects have criticized.

In an e-mail titled "Escalation is not the answer," Mr. Obama yesterday asked voters to tell Mr. Bush "our soldiers are not numbers to add just because someone couldn't think of a better idea."The Illinois Democrat's message includes a link to the White House's "contact" page.

"They are our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and friends who are willing to wave goodbye to everything they've ever known just for the chance to serve their country," Mr. Obama said of the troops. "Our men and women in uniform are doing a terrific job under extremely difficult conditions. But our government has failed them so many times over the last few years, and we simply cannot afford to do it again. We must not multiply the mistakes of yesterday, we must end them today."

From the Times:

May 16 2007--Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have said for the first time that they will support legislation to curtail major combat operations in Iraq by March 31, 2008, cutting off financing for all but a limited mission of U.S. forces, Jeff Zeleny and Carl Hulse reported from Washington.

Obama, of Illinois, and Clinton, of New York, two leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination, made separate announcements Tuesday on the eve of a largely symbolic Senate debate on using the power of the purse to end the war. For weeks, the two senators had declined to state their positions, but they issued statements after rivals - and liberal groups - criticized their silence.

This was a little later, Obama still opposed:

Aug 22. 2007 Obama has commented there is no military solution in Iraq and that the recent increase in US troops may only control the violence temporarily.Democrat Barack Obama spoke a day after his main presidential rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, made similar comments. She said the tactics of the short-term troop increase were working but political progress did not seem to be in sight.


"If we put 30,000 additional troops into Baghdad, it will quell some of the violence short term. I don't think there is any doubt about that," said Obama, "But that won't solve Iraq's critical political problems."


He went on to say, "No military surge can succeed without political reconciliation and a surge of diplomacy in Iraq and the region."

30,000 isn't enough for Baghdad, but 34,000 is enough for Afghanistan?

Obama at the VFW:

Aug 20 2008 ORLANDO, FLA. - President Bush said on Wednesday that his decision to increase the U.S. troop level in Iraq last year brought security to a now resurgent nation, and he criticized those who said his plan was flawed.Bush's comments were a slap at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and a compliment to Republican candidate John McCain.

"The commander in chief must always listen to the commanders and not the latest opinion polls," Bush said during a speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars."America's future leaders must remember that the war on terror will be won on the offense," Bush said.

Obama, addressing the VFW on Tuesday, reaffirmed his early opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He said the surge of troops has not led to the political reconciliation needed to ensure the country will remain secure once U.S. troops are gone.

What more is there to say?