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Candidates weigh in during Petraeus hearing (Roundup)

Apr 8, 2008, 21:59 GMT

Washington - The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates offered their views during hearings Tuesday with the top US commander and diplomat in Iraq, with Hillary Clinton declaring President George W Bush's policy 'irresponsible.' 'It could be fair to say that it might well be irresponsible to continue the policy that has not produced the results that have been promised,' the New York senator and former first lady said during the Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing. General David Petraeus and ambassador Ryan Crocker warned that the situation in Iraq would deteriorate if US troops were prematurely withdrawn. Petraeus recommended a 45-day pause in US troop withdrawals once the surge ends in July, which, if accepted by Bush, would keep troop levels at about 140,000. Clinton and her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama, have pledged to begin withdrawing troops if they win the November 4 election and succeed Bush in the White House when he leaves in January. Clinton has said she would begin withdrawals within 60 days of taking office. Obama, speaking at second hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said a timetable for troops reductions should be enacted to pressure the Iraq government into taking responsibility for the country. 'I believe that we are more likely to resolve (the conflict) if we are applying increased pressure in a measured way,' Obama said, adding that Bush's decision to invade Iraq was a 'strategic blunder.' The presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain, strongly backed Bush's troop surge and has argued on the campaign trail that the United States has a moral obligation to stay with the mission and not abandon the Iraqi people. McCain, the Arizona senator, said the Bush administration in the four years after toppling Saddam Hussein's regime had 'mismanaged war' but had adopted the right strategy a year ago by deploying more troops. 'Today it is possible to talk with real hope and optimism about the future of Iraq and the outcome of our efforts there,' he said. 'We're no longer staring into the abyss of defeat and we can now look ahead to the genuine prospect of success.'

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ElliottApr 8th, 2008 - 22:47:48

Damn the masters of war!

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BillnHillaryApr 8th, 2008 - 23:06:35

Where did they find this idiot, Ambassador Crocker? I've never heard so many barnyard sounds coming from a man's mouth! Every other word out of
him was ummmm.... or uhhhhhh....not at all what one would expect from a U.S. professional diplomat. I've heard better public speaking from junior
high school students. No wonder diplomacy has failed miserably in the
region when we have morons like him sitting at the negotiating table him-
hawing his way around. Yet another idiotic appointee of the village idiot
himself, George Bush!

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??Apr 9th, 2008 - 03:22:22

And who's McCain's speech writer - a poet?

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SP4: Poor HillaryApr 9th, 2008 - 04:30:50

..and Barak.

David Gergen(?) was on CNN explaining how things in Iraq are pretty solid i.e. we've achieved many of the goals we set out to, and who ever is the next President, inherits it all. Now, if they withdraw totally, and it falls apart, THEY will be the ones who lost the war.

So now, ALL the candidates have their mouthpieces floating a 'partial withdrawl' and some kind of 'residual Force'.

Bush put them all in a real pickle.

Good.

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@SP4Apr 9th, 2008 - 05:21:50

Do you get up every day and look yourself in the mirror and promise to look as stupid as you can. Is that your set goal every single day?

'David Gergen(?) was on CNN explaining how things in Iraq are pretty solid i.e. we've achieved many of the goals we set out to, and who ever is the next President, inherits it all. Now, if they withdraw totally, and it falls apart, THEY will be the ones who lost the war.'

Not at all what he said, you must have rose colored hearing aids. He said that things were very tenuous and that we need to keep the troop strength at approximately where it is now---does not sound like things in Iraq are 'pretty solid'. What it really sounds like is that the situation in Iraq is exactly like everything elst this Texas idiot has touched---a total mess. And you idiot, not one single person here or in the rest of the world will blame anyone except George W. Bush for the mess in Iraq and Afghanistan---that is his legacy!

'Bush put them all in a real pickle.'

'Good.'

So you are happy that Bush has lost over 4000 US troops with over 20,000 seriously wounded? That is the 'pickle' we are in.

You sir are a complete and total idiot. Please find a short pier and take a long walk off of it.

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To: @SP4Apr 9th, 2008 - 13:33:57

You are right on! Some people can't see the forest for the trees - they keep lauding Bush for all his blunders and the tragedy of this war, and sound like it's worth all the lives lost and damaged just to prove a point for one thing - tiresome and disgusting! The military will probably always think we need to stay 'just one more year' 'cause that's their job, but that would go on forever. Sadam is gone and the WMD weren't and aren't in evidence, but they can constantly find excuses that circumstances aren't perfect. Way past time to cut the losses and concentrate on the mess at home!

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