Obama’s Iraq Double Talk-Gate Response
By NancyA on September 17, 2008 at 10:45 PM in Barack Obama, Current Affairs, Foreign Policy, Foreign affairs, Iraq, National Defense, National Security
Agence France Presse, released Obama’s statement on the Iraq Double Talk-gate not more than 14 hours ago. I am sad to say it took the AFP to release this statement. The media here in the US seem to be “missing in action”.
There are a couple of very troubling things about Obama’s response and meeting. There was a witness to the meeting with the Foreign Minister and Obama. Can anyone identify the witness to Obama’s comments and meeting? Beyond that, I am unsure if Obama is calling the newspaper writer a liar or if Obama is calling Foreign Minister Zebari a prevaricator when his campaign said:
“Taheri’s article bore ‘as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial.’”In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a “Strategic Framework Agreement” governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.
But once again the Obama campaign thinks they have “plausible” deniability. Or?
According to Ed Morrisey of Hot Air in post dated today. Did Obama just confirm Taheri? Ed quoted from Glenn Reynolds,
He (Glenn Reynolds) doesn’t see any daylight between them. Yesterday, Taheri accused Obama of attempting to derail a status-of-forces agreement between the US and Iraq by telling the Iraqis to wait until after the American elections and stop negotiating with the Bush administration. Obama responded by essentially confirming Taheri’s account:
According to Ed, Obama did try to interfere with diplomatic negotiations. Obama may have done a bit more than that, he may have violated protocol rules set forth in the following document, Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 18 April 1961. Entered into force on 24 April 1964. See Article 41 for more information.
More from Ed:
Which is exactly what Taheri wrote. Barack Obama went to Iraq and interfered with the diplomatic efforts of the elected United States government, in a war zone no less, by telling the Iraqis to stop negotiating with the President.
Obama’s national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi also said this:
“Barack Obama has never urged a delay in negotiations, nor has he urged a delay in immediately beginning a responsible drawdown of our combat brigades.”
“These outright distortions will not changes the facts — Senator Obama is the only candidate who will safely and responsibly end the war in Iraq and refocus our attention on the real threat: a resurgent Al-Qaeda and Taliban along the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.”
Ed really exposed his outrage on this subject, a rage that all American citizens should be feeling at this time. I have Ed’s statement on that:
It wasn’t enough for Obama to fail at forcing the nation into a defeat in Iraq when he opposed the surge. Now he has interfered with our efforts to stabilize Iraq and provide for its security after the surge succeeded in keeping Iraq from falling into a failed state. And when he got caught working for failure and defeat, he tried making it into a smear against John McCain.
Ed we feel your rage over here at NoQuarter. I hope you and all other citizens of this country pay attention to the following statement. A former Deputy U.S. Attorney General, who will remain anonymous, relayed through Eastan McNeal yesterday and shared in a conversation this morning:
I saw the underlying piece by Amir Taheri in the New York Post today and believe him to be reliable.
There is a marginal difference between asking the Iraqi foreign minister “why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington” and asking him TO delay such an agreement, but that goes more to the Logan Act formalities than to the political significance of the interaction between Senator Obama and the Iraqi foreign minister.
Based on the reported information, Senator Obama was skirting closer to a violation of the Logan Act than to conduct conforming to the Constitutional definition of treason.
But whether or not Senator Obama’s conduct was unlawful, it was outrageous.
Our media is ignoring it because they are focusing on linking McCain to the Wall Street mess today. I’m starting to get concerned that even when the GOP is ready to release their ammo against Obama the mainstream media will never report it.
They are determined to win this election for Obama.
Nail him in the debate with it.
Anyone know who is hosting/moderating the debates?
http://www.debates.org
Jim Lehrer is first (foreign affairs debate at Ole Miss)
Enough said. This will be boring, slow, and no news making or challenging questions—at least of Obama.
I think it’s aryers and wright,lol
This WILL come up during the first debate. McCain will mention it. Why shoot this bullet now so the MSM can cover for Obama and bury it before the debate starts?
This should be framed as a money/economic issue as well.
http://blog1.thejtandbearshow.com/2008/09/17/hypocrisy-obamas-illegal-negotiations-with-iraq-will-cost-americans-60-billion-more.aspx
Marie-
Good link-
Thanks…
The media can’t stop the campaign ads from running. They can’t stop the grassroots effort on the ground either.
Actually they can stop campaign ads from running - have you forgotten so quickly?
Yeah, everyone’s against Obama, that’s it. The collapse of McCain’s lead doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that neither he nor Palin is capable of opening their mouths without either blatantly lying or something something so stupid that it leaves people gasping. Here’s the latest, PUMAs:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/217744.php
Your hero is so imbecilic and probably half-senile that when asked about the Prime Minister of Spain by name, he didn’t even know who the guy was. A major NATO member, and Mr. Foreign Policy, Mr. War on Terror, couldn’t even identify the man.
I don’t know who is more pathetic: McCain himself, or any clown who actually thinks he can win.
The polls showing Obama in the lead polled many more Democrats than Republicans or Independents?
Look at how the media is now manipulating the polls to make it appear Obama is back on top. The methodology has changed.
Like the Obama trolls, the MSM polls only provide propaganda. Don’t believe anything they say or write.
These polls are weighting results based on the percentages of people who identify with each party. These days the Democrats have a significant advantage in that department, probably around 10%. I haven’t checked recently, but I’d guess the polls weight around that sort of spread, in which case they’re likely accurate. Or are you suggesting that they weren’t weighting that way a week ago, when all the same polls gave McCain the lead while he was enjoying his convention bubble, and Americans hadn’t yet figured out that Sarah Palin was a clueless idiot? You’re in denial. The Palin bubble is over, McCain can’t go a day without saying something idiotic, and as I have been telling you all for months now, Obama is going to win this election, probably by an historic margin.
Obama didn’t know what AIG stood for, duh. That’s really bad considering Obama was number two on AIG’s list of bribes for Senators.
And who cares who the PM of Spain is?
If your candidate received fair coverage, you could talk, since he doesn’t shut the hell up. how about that. Cause if Gibson hadn’t played slice and dice with palins interview, the american people would have known not only how capable she is, but how capable obama is not. so go somewhere and shut it! before you get your feelings hurt.
Sf..
I still want you to answer this basic question.
Why did Obama fail to stand at the state of the union address and clap the success of out troops in Iraq.
Where I come from that’s called
Anti-Americanism!!
Where I come from, your obsession with triviality is called “Republicanism.” With the world melting down around us and John McCain offering nothing but a “commission” and suddenly, after 26 years in Congress as a libertarian who opposed all regulation, pretending to be a populist regulator, I can understand why you don’t want to actually, you know, discuss issues. But the American people are actually paying now, which means McCain and Palin are in deep doo-doo.
Love the McCain gaffe today about Zapatero, by the way. LOVE IT. Mr. War on Terror can’t identify the Prime Minister of a major NATO ally. LOL. How can any of you support this guy with a straight face?
Loved the gaff Obama made, he didn’t know what AIG stood for but hey according to sfhillary he’s wonderful. Personally I think he has early onset of Alzheimer’s.
Obama could have held three meetings with our NATO alies over Afghanistan. Spain hasn’t given our troops as much as a gazpacho recipe, so why would anyone know who Zapatero is? It’s not like he won the Euro 08.
Hope, follow SFhillary’s link, it’s bullshit!
when i saw it was talkingpointsmemo i puked in my mouth
Sf..
I’m a business guy that still does it the old fashion way with eye contact and a good hand shake.
The fact the Obama didn’t care enough to acknowledge our troops is evidence enough that he is not fit to be commander and chief.
Like I said: you are a good loyal Republican who finds a triviality and fixates on it. According to the last poll I’ve seen from Stars & Stripes, a majority of military people favored Obama’s position on Iraq last year, long before McCain and Bush belatedly adopted it. I think that says it all as far as Obama and the military.
Last year was along time ago asshole.
I was a democrat then..
along with my wife, the folks at my company, my church and my neighbors.
Now we’re Country First!!
Get a clue idiot!
Seattle Moss
I run a business and employee several employees. SF may be like Obama-never had to make a payroll and always received a paycheck from someone else.
People who suck the money from those of us that produce are the most critical. I guess they have more time than we do. We have to work for a living so we can pay taxes so people like Obama can get a paycheck and have time to be critical.
And you are a Marxist. From the poll I’ve read, 93% of the Marxist are voting for Obama. You are also a racist and a discriminate base on age.
Ya’ll want the government (i.e., those of us that work) to support you.
Comment by SFhillary | 2008-09-18 00:29:46
Where I come from, your obsession with triviality is called “Republicanism.”
Where I come from we call it Patriotism!
Was this today’s talking point in the memo Obama sent you?
No. Today’s talking point from the Obama campaign was that McCain doesn’t know jack-shit about the economy and is just embarrassing himself and insulting the intelligence of the American people by suddenly pretending to be a populist regulator when as recently as yesterday MORNING he was saying the economy was sound and that he is against regulation.
Well of course STFU is misquoting McCain….that’s what the hopey/changey “new” kind of politics campaign does. You really are so scared STFU, I know, and a WOMAN is responsible for your pain!! Palin Power!
SFHillary,
When Sen Obama MISSPOKE and said there were 57 states in USA, or when he MISSPOKE and said (during his trip overseas) that the Banking and Finance Committee was HIS committee- that was okay right? No big deal.
BUT
When/if Sen McCain mispeaks-he is senile, an imbecile right?
Boy is the Obama campaign going to p*ss off all the senior demographic in Florida and Pennsylvania.
Go ahead…keep it up… hmmmokay?
I think most people understand the difference between misspeaking, as everyone does, and revealing through one’s answer to a journalist’s question that one genuinely has no idea who “Zapatero” is. McCain answered like he thought the guy was some leftist Latin American leader and refused to say whether he would invite him to the White House. Unfortunately, he had no idea that he was talking about the Prime Minister of Spain. That wasn’t misspeaking: that was ignorance. Just like when he confused Sunnis and Shiites three times in the course of a month or so.
People figure this stuff out. Obama will pay no price for ridiculous misspeaking because everyone who listens to him can tell that he is deeply knowledgeable about most topics. McCain’s errors are different. In a potential commander in chief, they are scary. And people understand that too.
For me, the best thing about the past week has been the wave of revulsion that erupted from the media and from the voting public over McCain’s hideous surge of negative ads. He has lost his reputation now, and lost his lead in the polls, and lost any sense of his personal honesty with the public. It’s over, PUMAs. McCain won’t come back from this.
I’ll offer one caveat: if the Bush White House decides to start a war or manufacture a terrorist attack or something a week before the election, out of desperation. Because of course, Bush ahd Cheney know that if Obama is elected they might well be prosecuted for war crimes. So you know how much they want McCain to win. Great company you PUMAs keep these days.
you write a sick novel where a sentence will do your full of empty air….
and we would rather keep company with McCain/Palin
than u your messiah and his shady friends…
McCain & Palin are real mavericks not an empty suit….
Yeah, sfhillary rattles on just like Obama. How boring, my eyes were glazing over after the first paragraph.
Yeah, they’re real mavericks, all right — they support pretty much every actual Bush policy position and initiative, but they SAY they’re mavericks, and they’re running against Obama, so for dumbass PUMAs, that’s good enough.
Whatever. This election is slipping away from you now, and given the horrendous way McCain and Palin are performing on the rare occasions that their handlers allow them to speak to real live human beings, I don’t see them taking back the initiative in the debates. So I’m just hear to watch you all squirm while you watch Obama become 44.
Sure you are STFU!!! Keep mumbling that to yourself….if it really helps!
LOL!!
Well, I’m going to bed now, so I will indeed be Sing TFU.
Goodnight, PUMAs. I can’t wait to see tomorrow’s tracking polls. We’re ahead by an average of 2 points now; I’m guessing it will widen over the next few days. You can feel McCain losing it, can’t you? You’ve read about how high Palin’s negatives are now, right? You’re aware that middle America has soundly rejected her, that women especially don’t like her at all? You’ve figured out that McCain’s numbers are actually even at best, with the numbers he had before he picked her?
God, it must make you cringe to realize that with less than two months ago, McCain is losing, and what’s worse, losing his composure. Almost every day now he says something ridiculous, and he’s getting testy with the press; he snapped at a woman on Joe Scarborough’s morning show yesterday. He’s losing it.
Obama will be your next president, PUMAs. I couldn’t be happier. Goodnight.
In your nightmares.
“SFhillary” you are full of B.S. You throw shit out there and hope we’ll fall for it.
I’m full of BS, huh? Well, surely you acknowledge that a week ago McCain was leading in national polls. Now, do I have to link to all the polls that have come out in the past 24 hours showing that Obama has retaken the lead? Or are you going to argue that these pollsters were honest last week but are now lying for Obama this week?
Come on. Nobody is that lame. The reality is, you’re losing again.
You can't read very well can you sf? If you could, it would be obvious that Obama voted on critical issues with Bush & Cheney.Hey, here's something else for you to pick your few teeth with:
Obama got $126,000 from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Investments. He is the second biggest recipient of political money from these funds and he’s only been in the Senate 3 years.
(Reference: opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html)
Jim Johnson, A Former CEO Of Fannie Mae And Top Obama Campaign Adviser, Received Special Loans From Countrywide:
Jim Johnson, A Former CEO Of Fannie Mae Chosen To Lead Obama’s Vice Presidential Search Committee, Received Special Loans From Countrywide Financial CEO Angelo Mozilo. “Countrywide Financial Corp. makes mortgage loans through a vast network of offices, brokers and call centers. But a few customers have gotten their loans a special way: through Countrywide Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo. These borrowers, known internally as ‘friends of Angelo’ or FoA, include two former CEOs of Fannie Mae, the biggest buyer of Countrywide’s mortgages, say people familiar with the matter. One was James Johnson, a longtime Democratic Party power and an adviser to Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign, who this past week was named to a panel that is vetting running-mate possibilities for the presumed nominee.”
(Reference: Glenn R. Simpson and James R. Hagerty, “Countrywide Frien ds Got Good Loans,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/7/08)
Fannie Mae CEO calls Obama Family
youtube.com/watch?v=usvG-s_Ssb0
sfhillary….Obama can’t have it both ways. One time he says McCain is just another Bush pushing his agenda, then the next time he says McCain/Palin have NO agenda. Which is it?
Your defense of Obama is as repulsive as Obama.
What a soulless person to support Obama when he voted with Bush and the Republicans on: FISA, Terri Schiavo, rewrote legislation to favor the nuclear power industry, voted against legislation that would make mining companies clean up their environmental messes, did not support the effort to get EPA to draft stricter mercury restricts, voted for the 2005 Bush/Cheney Energy Bill, accepted millions from Wall Street, Soro and MoveOn.Org., is talking about moving our troops from Iraq and putting them into Afgahanisan and said he will follow the Bush doctrine.
You have no moral authority to condemn anyone here, or to criticize McCain or Palin.
Obama asking Iraq to delay troop withdrawals is not “misspeaking”. It is double speak.
Sf..
I could be comatose and still get the number of states correct.
Obama showed who he really wants to win
and that is to the 57 states of Islam
You know, Patrick Fitzgerald knows a thing or two about indictments. I expect Obama to go long before Bush.
SFHillary, you are such a loon. My word, are there black helicopters over rental? Your type are the reason the dems will lose this election. The American people cannot relate to anyone who is crazy.
Latest Electoral College forecast shows McCain ahead by as many as 27 votes
As of September 16, the margin in electoral votes is 282.8 votes for McCain against 255.2 for Obama, depending on the forecasting scenario. Sheldon Jacobson, a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, along with a group of students and collaborators at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville are using a math model that dynamically forecasts the outcome of the election.
He been ahead since it was clear hillary was out of the race. The news is breaking it gently to the Obama supporters, so they don’t raid respectfull people’s houses and businesses.
ROFLMAO
“SFhillry” you’re a piece of crap! I followed that link of yours and it’s nothing but accusations of something supposedly from a Spanish newspaper. The audio is even in Spanish. You’re nothing more than a rumor monger. You’re a disgusting liar just like Obama!
Oh crap! We are in trouble.
a New CBS Poll is out with Obama Leading by 5 Points!!!!
Who knew the Independent party was larger than the Republican party?
And more importantly, why the hell didn’t the MSM cover the Independent Party Convention?
Talk about rigging the poll.
This is par for the course with CBS News. The the margin for error on a supposedly “national” poll with only 1,000 respondents is huge. This poll is worthless. Any national poll with less than 3,000 respondents is pretty much useless. Watch Rasmussen and Gallup. Those are the two best polls and both show the race as a statistical dead heat.
SFHillary - do you also call yourself Sindy McCain?
As if you’d know either, obotnik.
Check back with us on Nov. 6th, slick.
sfhillary says: “I don’t know who is more pathetic: McCain himself, or any clown who actually thinks he can win.”
That would be NEITHER. The correct answer is: Anyone who blindly supports obama even though he is not capable, competent or able to lead a boy scout troop, let alone the US Government. Case in point would be the poster who is quoted.
lyndsy
I agree.
The msm doesnt understand that this political attack (Wall St/McCain) WONT STICK. Here is why:
http://patriotroom.com/?p=2092
This speech is EXCELLENT. The truth will hurt Sen Obama indeed. This video needs to get out along with links on where people can learn more about what Sen McCain is discussing…They will see that Sen McCain is a straight talker. Sen McCain doesnt need to go down to Sen Obama’s gutter level…Sen McCain just needs to get the truth out there-that’s all.
*****************************************
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/17/mccains-attempt-to-fix-fannie-mae-freddie-mac-in-2005/
***************************************
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/09/16/obamas-finance-chair-failed-bank-owner-penny-pritzker-and-todays-wall-street-problem/#more-4842
http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/04/04/barack-obamas-finance-chairwoman-and-the-seized-superior-bank/
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html
No, they aren’t. They’re determined, though, to make this thing look like a horserace when it is anything but.
Obama is mincemeat already, absent a huge gaffe by McCain.
Is this even possible if the McCain campaign buys and pays for ads. Doesn’t the media have to run them? Does anyone know the answer?
At least now our Republican colleagues know how we Democrats have felt for the past 20 years, with the media relentlessly smearing our candidates, damaging them in the polls, while mindlessly praising candidates we fear and despise.
Aggravating, isn’t it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk_fPi-24Iw
Obama is lying scum.
So are his ignorant, bottom feeding trolls.
Nail head meet hammer.
Our media is really sick anyone else doing this crap they would of had a field day over this, he should really pay for trying to pull this stunt.
Anyway knowing Obama maybe he feels he is the President already, and he was just carrying out his duties as commander in chief.
He was cynically trying to win an election. He thought he could get away with it, because “Reagan did.”
In the days of Queen Elizabeth, this type of activity would have caused heads to roll….and end up on a spear outside the castle gates.
Now, the MSM completely ignores this and hopes the blogosphere doesn’t keep it alive so that it can be relegated to the trash-heap of non-issue along with journalistic integrity, and the terms investigate, fair, and balanced.
You’ve come a long way Baby!
In Other news!!
Oh Crap! We are in trouble!!
a New CBS Poll is out with Obama Leading by 5 Points!!!!
Who knew the Independent party was larger than the Republican party?
And more importantly, why the hell didn’t the MSM cover the Independent Party Convention?
Funny looking poll. Do you suppose the msm is going to start showing polls with barky in the lead all the time now?
I looked at nyt earlier and I couldn’t find anything about this story. The msm is utterly shameless.
The problem with polling is two fold.
1) how are the questions phrased and presented.
2) what is the methodology for determining your sample of respondents.
What this poll tells us is that if you poll more democrats and independents than republicans you will suppress the Republican Opinion.
Now does the republican party really only account for barely a bit over 1/4 of the electorate?
I suspect that this poll also doesn’t take into account the smoke signal vote…you know that other contingent much like those mysterious obama cell phone voters who text message their votes into american idol over and over, but on the republican side who live in the country, don’t wear shoes or shave and communicate using bonfires and blankets, claw marks on trees, and dear droppings in the forests and have to trap catch and skin their own food before they can eat it.
Also be on the lookout for dead people voting in November, complements of Acorn, A. Corn, A.C. Orn and A. Coornholio.
Well I am an Independent voting for McCain! This poll is obtuse.
The Logan Act
Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.
1 Stat. 613, January 30, 1799, codified at 18 U.S.C. § 953 (2004).
Okay, I’m confused…didn’t the Obama spokesperson just confirm that Obama did indeed do precisely what he she said he didn’t do?????
These guys really are just a continuation of Bush with the same Orwellian newspeak and everything.
You aren’t confused. Obama’s spokesperson did confirm this pretty much. If anyone is confused about this, it is the Obama campaign themselves.
yup, they lied their way to the truth…
they stole their way to honesty…
and to change, remained exactly the same…
News of Obama’s interference in ongoing military operations by negotiating with the Iraqi government to get them to delay making agreement with the U.S. on our troop movements (e.g., withdrawal) is traitorous. How many Americans will be killed or wounded because they have to stay in Iraq longer than they might otherwise?
Obama has proved himself a traitor, not a patriot.
Matthew- I agree.
Also- look at thios link provided by Marie and originally posted above on this thread:
“This should be framed as a money/economic issue as well.”
http://blog1.thejtandbearshow.com/2008/09/17/hypocrisy-obamas-illegal-negotiations-with-iraq-will-cost-americans-60-billion-more.aspx
I really think the media have just been reading and projecting the Obama talking points… They haven’t been thinking - or, as we know, doing any of their own investigation on the background and past and current associates of Obama hence their surprise with Lyn de Rothchild comes out with her statements and reasons re her supporting and campaigning for John McCain. Not just Country over Party…but that is the ultimate gain for America… John McCain as President will be excellent and keep America safe.
I am beginning to think there just may be a light at the end of the very dark tunnel… Hope it gets very bright very soon.
I don’t know if you guys already know this but Greta wire was hacked tonight. Obama thugs are disgusting.
Hey Tampa..
I used to get frothing mad at republicans.
Now I hate New democrats!!!
Such low life traitors!!
Country First!
Me too Seattle,
The hackers I think were the same ones that hacked Sarah’s email. They or he took over her blog. Go over there and look at the comments you won’t believe it.
I’m just beside myself with anger at these people.
I can’t believe that I actually called myself a democrat all these years…
They are Marxists just like the Soviets!
I guess if we don’t tow the line and be good little Democrats they will punish us.
Problem with these idiots Tampa is that they have awakened a sleeping giant.
The FDR/Reagan/Clinton/McCain/PUMA/Democrats are uniting in the center to prevent this hostile takeover by the Soro’s internationalist’s that would like to end Americanism..
I’m proud of my country and will defend it to my bitter end!!
Bravo Seattle Moss!! ITA!! Hooray for the center!! Down with extremists!
Kathy..
I may have been against the Iraq originally..
But guess what?
I think Iraq is a Brilliant strategy for protecting Western civilization vital interests and the world against terrorism.
Sometimes you have to just be for America!!
Obama wished for defeat in Iraq so that he could win an election.
The DNC wishes for Depression so that they can win an election
How Anti-American is that?
Amen. The Democrats have moved so far to the left, bought into the very worst of narcissictic liberalism, socialism, and embraced cynical anti-patriotism. Putting your country down scores points with them. It’s an insult to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have given their lives protectind and defending us since the birth of this nation.
Not for me. I re-registered as a Republican this summer.