Profiles In Resolution

Whatever else we may say about the Administration, at least they held the line on Iraq. 

When then-Senator Joe Biden had the opportunity to call for a withdrawal, and for the partition of Iraq into three states, thank goodness he held the line. 

When then-Senator Obama had the option to vote with the rest of his party against the war, thank heavens Obama’s wisdom caused him to look past short-term polling and vote for perseverence.

And when the time came to fish or cut bait with the 2006 troop surge to exploit the newfound successes of the “Anbar Awakening”, thank the good Lord that Barack Obama and Joe Biden bet long and supported Gen. Petraeus’ plans and the efforts of our troops.

All that perseverence paid off during the 2008 Presidential Campaign, when both Obama and Biden bucked the left’s base and demanded resolution and perseverence in Iraq, that our sacrifices and those of the Iraqi people would not be in vain.

And so thank you, Vice President Biden.  Your claiming of credit on Larry King last night was so well-earned…

…I’m sorry. I can’t keep a straight face anymore.  I’m lying.

But then, so was Vice President Biden, when he actually claimed credit for the Administration on its stance in Iraq. 

Andrew Malcolm in the LATimes:

Now, the Obama-Biden pair that opposed the Iraq war and its tactics and predicted their failure is prepared to accept credit for its success.

It seems that Biden, who’s from Delaware when he’s in Delaware and Pennsylvania when in Pennsylvania, is certain now that Iraq will turn out to be one of the Obama-Biden administration’s greatest achievements.

No, really.

Here’s how Biden put it to Lar:

I am very optimistic about — about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You’re going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You’re going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government.

I spent — I’ve been there 17 times now. I go about every two months — three months. I know every one of the major players in all the segments of that society. It’s impressed me. I’ve been impressed how they have been deciding to use the political process rather than guns to settle their differences.

Biden did not elaborate on what all the administration’s other “great achievements” were so far.

There’s your Hope and Change; Biden hopes you don’t notice he’s changed history.

(With thanks to commenter Fingers.  When I first read the headline on Drudge, I thought it said “Iran“, not Iraq.  Oy.).

19 thoughts on “Profiles In Resolution

  1. Pingback: The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Obama, Biden and Iraq: Profiles In Perseverence

  2. Their other major acheivement was taking a dead wishy washy liberal Republican party and make it a strong force again.

  3. Biden was considered a serious candidates for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination.
    This is just embarrassing.

  4. I can remember when, in 2009, the country was facing economic calamity, and thankfully, folks like Mitch McConnell and Sarah Palin, put their partisan politics aside and helped chart a course for correction.

    And, thankfully to their brave stand, the economy which was hemoraging jobs, was headed for a true economic meltdown, rebounded as both confidence and consumer spending rebounded when companies began to see the light at the end of the tunnel, a light in part created by the bold decision making of Republicans AND Democrats – decisions which were hard, but still necessary.

    I can further remember when those same Republicans stood by the President, putting party behind country to then work to help solve health care..

    No, wait.. I can’t, because partisanship trumped country for McConnell and Palin.

    The point Mitch, is 4 fingers point back at you. You phumper about Iraq, but forget that when Biden and Obama were asked to funnel even MORE money into Iraq, it was after 3 years of the worst run war in our history. It was after 3 years of abject failure, and a President who only changed when the Democrats FORCED him to after they took over the House in 2006.

    You also forget that you were asking them to bet long, just like YOU and your party are being asked to do now, and both people failed. I didn’t support the surge because I felt it was unnecessary, which it was, the troops didn’t matter, the change in the contemptuous attitude is what mattered, and that contemptuous attitude was the attitude of the Republican faithful, people like you, toward the plight of Iraqis. THAT change was Patreaus, but it was Patreaus whom you Republicans mocked two years earlier in Anbar. I felt it was also uneccesary because in the end, the Shiites and the Sunnis have to sort this out themselves, and our presence, you know the presence you said should remain for 10 years when you backed McCain, our presence was an impediment. You said that was incorrect, yet the Iraqis voted to have us leave. So I wonder, who was correct about our presence, YOU, or the Iraqis? I’m betting on them.

    The point is your sophistry here pretends that the war started in July-Aug 2007. It didn’t. You messed it up (You being the approach you supported), and what fixed it was a combination of factors, most important among them a change in how to treat the civilians in the country. While I give YOU personally some credit that you recognized that earlier (in late 2006 as opposed to early 2007) that hardly means YOU were right and the Democrats were wrong. Patreaus’ actiions mostly helped quell AQI, a meaningful, but tangential change. There STILL is inter-religious strife, and it STILL isn’t sorted out, and the Iraqis are gradually kicking us out of their country. You can claim that your preferred approach to Iraq worked, but it didn’t, it failed. Your SECOND choice kinda succeeded, but only if you agree that your approach about indefinite detentions, about jailing US Soldiers who break the law (as Murtha said should have been done) was ALSO wrong and needed to change, because THAT IS what changed too.

  5. I can remember when, in 2009…

    Leave the satire to the pros.

    And, thankfully to their brave stand, the economy which was hemoraging jobs, was headed for a true economic meltdown…

    Unemployment is up almost three points over where it was when Obama was elected.

    I can further remember when those same Republicans stood by the President, putting party behind country to then work to help solve health care..

    If you think I’m abashed that my party scuppered Obama’s stupid socalized healthcare, think again.

    No, wait.. I can’t, because partisanship trumped country for McConnell and Palin.

    McConnell? Do you mean, perhaps, McCain?

    The point Mitch, is 4 fingers point back at you.

    That never gets old for you, does it?

    You phumper about Iraq, but forget that when Biden and Obama were asked to funnel even MORE money into Iraq, it was after 3 years of the worst run war in our history. It was after 3 years of abject failure, and a President who only changed when the Democrats FORCED him to after they took over the House in 2006.

    Well, no. The Dems wanted to force a withdrawal. Bush had to respond by coming up with a strategy that’d work . Crediting the Dems for the Surge is like thanking Goebbels for the Holocaust Museum.

    You also forget that you were asking them to bet long, just like YOU and your party are being asked to do now

    Um – huh?

    THAT change was Patreaus, but it was Patreaus whom you Republicans mocked two years earlier in Anbar.

    Now, Pen, I realize you never actually substantiate anything you write i my comment section – but please substantiate this absurd claim. I recall Petraeus being looked at as a rising “star” in the military when he commanded the 101st AB in ’03. Please show me any “mocking” from anyone who actually ever mattered. Thanks.

    The point is your sophistry here pretends that the war started in July-Aug 2007.

    Nope. Merely covers Obama and Biden’s wrongness on the issue starting in about ’06ish.

  6. “phumper”?
    I tried to google the word. No luck.
    I think that Penigma might be referring to a minor character named “Pomfrey Herries” from Hugh Seymour Walpole’s novels about a fictional Lake Country dynasty. Pomfrey (the character) was a bit pompous. Maybe that’s the connection?
    I didn’t know that Penigma was a fan of the Herries novels. Perhaps we can start a reading circle? I’m about ready to start The Bright Pavilions.

  7. Mitch, why do you even bother with penigma anymore? How could you have possibly read all of that comment without your head exploding.

  8. Penigma-
    as someone with boots on the ground during the surge, I heard nothing but ‘it cant be done’ from one side of the aisle to ‘our troops can do what we ask’ from the other side. Look at which side was right?

    In fact, Dems not only voted against the surge (by vote and by public statement) they publicly said we couldn’t do it.

    Here’s a hint Pen-never bet against the US military.

  9. Unemployment is up almost three points over where it was when Obama was elected.

    More to the point, Mitch, it’s up over two points over where he promised it would be if we enacted his policies, which we did.

    And it’s up those two points even with a very fat thumb on the scale. U6 is a much better indicator and that’s at 18% and far, far above where it was when we started this mess.

  10. Actually, the word is “pumpher” or “fumfer”.

    to fumfer

    A Yiddish word meaning to “mumble”, most often used to mean to be evasive; can also mean to putter aimlessly or to waste time.

    1. to stammer; to mutter nervously or confusedly;

    Some common spellings: ‘phumpher’ and ‘fumpher’, to a lesser extent ‘pfumpher’ and ‘pfumpfer’, and very rarely, ‘pfumfer’. Never ‘phumfer’. The most common is ‘phumpher’, followed closely by ‘fumfer’.

    See? You can learn something by reading penigma (albeit not directly).

  11. The point Mitch, is 4 fingers point back at you.
    That would be quite a trick, unless Mitch grew an extra finger. The thumb and forefinger point forward. Peev can’t even seem to count to five.

  12. If RickDFL, shows up here again I’ll be sure to remind him of his several declarations that the Iraq War was lost. You may remember that he defended himself from the charge of being a defeatist by claiming that the war was already lost.
    Maybe could explain to us how the Federal government created the States again, or how “peer-reviewed” == “Truth”.
    . . . ROFLMAO . . .

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