Monday, September 29, 2008

McCain-Obama debate snippet: Obama's 2002 anti-war speech

I finally got the chance to watch Friday night's debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.

Much has been written elsewhere already, but there is one statement regarding Iraq Barack Obama made that deserves scrutiny from me.

Obama made a speech at an anti-war rally in Chicago in 2002. Alluding to that event, Obama said at the debate:

I stood up and opposed this war, at a time when it was politically risky to do so.

Obama did oppose the invasion of Iraq. But in 2002, Obama was representing one of the most liberal state Senate districts in Illinois. It was not "politically risky" for him to denounce the invasion.

That anti-war speech was removed from Obama's campaign web site a year later. At that time, even without finding weapons of mass destruction, Bush looked like a military genius in the summer of 2003. To be fair, Obama says he was looking for "fresh news clips" to put on the site, but at that time, Obama was running hard for the US Senate, and opposition to what was then viewed as a successful and popular war looked like a political liability for Obama then.

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2 comments:

pathickey said...

More importantly, Rubes. Obama opened the door in Friday Debate Spinning with CNN to a real problem - his own words and principles.


Obama disavowed the Middle Class as a member of Trinity UCC - now he is a mouthpiece for us Rubes and Bubbas? Even Paul Winchel couldn't talk out of BOTH sides of his mouth.

This can of worms will gnaw at Obama like Herod's Tripes.

http://hickeysite.blogspot.com/2008/09/mccainpalin-obamas-dreams-of-class.html

Marathon Pundit said...

Ah yes...like Jason in the "Friday the 13th" films, Rev. Wright has a way appearing and wreaking havoc.