[9mm_fan]

Can Democrats be trusted with foreign policy?

First, most Democrats saw the same intelligence Bush saw and voted for the Iraq war. Going back to 1998, many Democrats are on the record talking about Hussein having WMDs.

Then the war became unpopular and Democrats cynically politicized the decision to go to war, saying they were intentionally misled by Bush or some other such comments in order to appease their base instead of talking to them like adults.

Then, when Iraq was losing support, they were criticizing Bush for not putting enough troops into Iraq. When turned around and corrected his failings in this regards, they then claimed putting more troops in Iraq was a bad idea.

The real area of concern, allegedly, which needed more attention was Afghanistan. Obama was spouting this line up until recently. Now that it is crunch-time in Afghanistan, the Democrats are backing down from those previous comments.

Earlier in the year, Obama was supporting putting anti-ballistic missiles in the Czech Republic & Poland, who upset the Russians by agreeing to the American plan. And we know how recently Obama overturned that, making Poland & the Czechs look foolish.

If I was a foreign leader, I would hesitate to make an alliance with America. You never know when a Democrat is going to sell you down the river or break commitments made by previous administrations.

If it weren't so serious, this would be comical.

[attackDoold]

I think the real question to ask is, can ANYONE be trusted with foreign policy? It seems both parties are only motivated by internal greed and self gratification when it comes to dealing with our neighbors. Whatever party is in charge, you can be sure that they will do what is best for themselves and not this country.

[Dwencejed]

Can Democrats be trusted with foreign policy?

First, most Democrats saw the same intelligence Bush saw and voted for the Iraq war. Going back to 1998, many Democrats are on the record talking about Hussein having WMDs.

No, the Democrats (and the Republicans) in Congress didn't see the same intelligence as the White House.

They saw the intelligence which the White House had prepared for them, which included many distortions and absurd suppositions. VP D!ck Cheney (stupid filter) spent a month at CIA headquarters looking over the analysts shoulders as they rewrote the intel book on Iraq to his specifications.

Give people bad, misleading, or intentionally biased intel and they make bad decisions.

[9mm_fan]

No, the Democrats (and the Republicans) in Congress didn't see the same intelligence as the White House.

They saw the intelligence which the White House had prepared for them, which included many distortions and absurd suppositions. VP D!ck Cheney (stupid filter) spent a month at CIA headquarters looking over the analysts shoulders as they rewrote the intel book on Iraq to his specifications.

Give people bad, misleading, or intentionally biased intel and they make bad decisions.

So how do you explain the comments going all the way back to 1998 from people like John Kerry?

Regardless, changing course after you commit to something that serious is shocking. Trying not to rehash those arguments because we don't have access to the intelligence ourselves.

[Hoijdxvh]

...compared with the frighteningly naive, dangerous, reckless cowboy foreign policy and war on intelligence waged by Obama's predecessor. The result of US foreign policy from 2000-2008 was to vault Iran to the national stage by removing their bitter rival (Iraq) and put Iran's cronies in charge of Iraq, bring them closer to a nuclear weapon-and it saw the triumph of radical Islam politically in Iran (Ahmenijahad), Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Palestine (Hamas). Let's not forget the recruitment boon to Bin Laden thanks to the Iraq invasion (confirmed by US intelligence), and the Abu Ghraib disaster-which inflamed the Muslim world.

Bin Laden and the Taliban?-both alive and well and making videos bashing the US thanks to the prior administration's focus on Saddam Hussein and his still missing weapons of mass destruction.

IMO-Obama has already delivered results-attributable to the following moves:

1) focusing US anti-terror efforts to AfPak-an additional 21000 troops in Afghanistan and revamping US counter terrorism strategy there. While US deaths are up-the fight has been finally taken to the Taliban-who easily reconstituted after the Bush non-invasion there. While the situation is still bad-at least the focus is now there-where Bin Laden was harbored-instead of Iraq.
2) Pakistan-Obama conditioned US aid to Pakistan on their willingness to take the fight to terrorists-and now Baitalluh Medsud is dead and the Taliban is on the run thanks to a massive pakistani army offensive.
3) Iran-overtures to moderates in the Muslim world led to the resurgence of the reformists in Iran-Why? Ahmenijahad's anti US rhetoric-the cornerstone of his policy-rang on deaf ears during the election since Obama was reaching out to the muslim world. The top reformist candidate relied on a moderate tone on the US and people flooded the streets in protest of Ahmenijahad's election. The reformists are planning to run signficant candidates in parliamentary elections.
4) Hezbollah? Routed in the recent elections since Obama's overtures.
5) Russia? Obama removed missles in Poland-and the Russians are now talking tough to Iran. Coincidence? Who worries you more-Iran or Russia?
Obama-with Sec. Gates behind him-is revamping the Aegis anti missle shield which is better targeted to Iran missle capabilities rather than Russia-which is much less of a threat. Iran is already reacting defensively to Obama's recent address and the US is proposing new sanctions-announced yesterday. I'll bet money Russia backs them in some form.

Coincidence? I think not.

[rbVmVlQ2]

Let me think about it, I do some reserch and get back to you. I want to push socalized HC thru in a week but my troops could wait. All I care about is HC and the Olympics right now. NO WAY can they be trusted. Obama,Biden, Clinton , think about what you are saking.

[elton]

think about what you are saking.

I can't figure out if this is supposed to be "asking" or "saying." Maybe it's both, who knows.

[Uhmavano]

Let me think about it, I do some reserch and get back to you. I want to push socalized HC thru in a week but my troops could wait. All I care about is HC and the Olympics right now. NO WAY can they be trusted. Obama,Biden, Clinton , think about what you are saking.

Unlike our last President, President Obama considers the presidency a full time job. This allows him to multi task. It must be odd to see a President with a good work ethic.

[elton]

What, you don't think spending 487 days on vacation, or about 17% of his presidency, is a good work ethic?

[Uhmavano]

What, you don't think spending 487 days on vacation, or about 17% of his presidency, is a good work ethic?

You forgot the 490 days spent on the ranch cutting brush. Link below.

Bush Spent 487 Days At Camp David, 490 Days At Texas Ranch During

[AdvertisingPo]

Everyone needs to stop responding to Mel in these threads. You just encourage him. I think there are some valid points in the OPs post, but arguing with Mel just brings the whole discussion down.

Having said that, Obama just not being Bush has been a huge boon for the United States in the world. I travel a bit and I have family in foreign countries, and they just straght up hated Bush and the USA under him. So if we are talking international relations Obama's election did much to improve our international standing.

[h98hhYxM]

Democrats can't be trusted with foreign policy or they can. Anyone pondering this is wasting time, energy, and bandwidth. This is a two party state, and a two party country which is divided 50-50, or 52-48. If a elected official can't work with the other party they shouldn't run for office and whine about.

[Smittoh]

I think the real question to ask is, can ANYONE be trusted with foreign policy? It seems both parties are only motivated by internal greed and self gratification when it comes to dealing with our neighbors. Whatever party is in charge, you can be sure that they will do what is best for themselves and not this country.

Ditto

[rbVmVlQ2]

You forgot the 490 days spent on the ranch cutting brush. Link below.

Bush Spent 487 Days At Camp David, 490 Days At Texas Ranch During

So far Obama has spent his entire Presidency On TV or traveling the world making apologies for American exceptionalism.
So when does he have time to work???? Oh thats right, 35 czars.

He soon we be making HISTORY again, The first President to beg for olympic games that his hometown don't want.

I'll look into the troopy thing when I get back, after I socialize HC that Americans don't want.
Remember , my EGO comes first!!!!

[Uhmavano]

So far Obama has spent his entire Presidency On TV or traveling the world making apologies for American exceptionalism.
So when does he have time to work???? Oh thats right, 35 czars.

He soon we be making HISTORY again, The first President to beg for olympic games that his hometown don't want.

I'll look into the troopy thing when I get back, after I socialize HC that Americans don't want.
Remember , my EGO comes first!!!!

It is amazing how much drive President Obama has compared to Bush. I don't remember any President with that much energy.

[h98hhYxM]

So far Obama has spent his entire Presidency On TV or traveling the world making apologies for American exceptionalism.
So when does he have time to work???? Oh thats right, 35 czars.

He soon we be making HISTORY again, The first President to beg for olympic games that his hometown don't want.

I'll look into the troopy thing when I get back, after I socialize HC that Americans don't want.
Remember , my EGO comes first!!!!

Impeach him before it's too late.

[Nutpoode]

It is amazing how much drive President Obama has compared to Bush. I don't remember any President with that much energy.

I wish EVERY politician would take a 365 day a year vacation. More crap would actually get done in this country.

[Uhmavano]

I wish EVERY politician would take a 365 day a year vacation. More crap would actually get done in this country.

"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy". James Madison. Think Iraq and all the baggage we got with it for no reason. Your post has a lot of truth to it but the world does not have a go back button and we have to face the big problems because they will not fix themselves.

[Dwencejed]

"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy". James Madison.

And it did. We waged an almost completely pointless Cold War and allowed ourselves to become an imperial power (of a new sort) over the last sixty years. Iraq War (i and II) are just more fallout from that mistake.

If only someone had warned us...



Oh, well.

[9mm_fan]

You forgot the 490 days spent on the ranch cutting brush. Link below.

Bush Spent 487 Days At Camp David, 490 Days At Texas Ranch During

And Obama has only talked to his general in Afghanistan once.

News flash, Bush isn't in office any more. I don't care if he was awful or great or somewhere in between. The point remains.

The Democrats are so badly handling their foreign policies they aren't even wrong. They are incoherent just going with whatever way the wind takes you.

I never thought I would see the day when the president of France has more of a clue on foreign policy than the American president: RealClearPolitics - Sarkozy's Contempt for Obama