Yesterday Catholics for Obama had a pretty much fluff piece in the Catholic Magazine Commonweal magazine called "Yes You Can: Why Catholics Don't Have to Vote Republican," .
Because of the funeral I attended today, I have not had much time to show the fallacy and half truths that are exhibited in most paragraphs of this article. Inside Catholic gives some things to look at in this piece Barack Obama: our next Catholic president?.
I knew the article was in trouble when it started out:
Republicans often use overheated and oversimplified rhetoric regarding the affinity between Catholic teaching and their platform. As a result, many people mistakenly assume that a Catholic must vote Republican.
Talk about Oversimplified!!! I have never really heard that seriously alleged.
Let me focus on the part dealing with Iraq.
He supported and promises to continue a war that the members of the Roman curia and the U.S. bishops deemed unjust. The bishops have called for a “responsible transition in Iraq...sooner rather than later.” They caution against a hasty withdrawal that would abandon U.S. legal and moral responsibilities to the people of Iraq. Yet they see continuing military operations there as a catalyst for the insurgency and unlikely to promote sustainable peace. The bishops also urge nonmilitary actions, such as diplomatic engagement with Syria, Iran, and other nations in the region that “address the underlying factors of conflict.” Is this the kind of “soft patriotism” tinged with “pacifism and cosmopolitanism” that Carlin rejects in the positions of Obama and other Democrats?.
Now of course we hear the latest news from Iraq today. Go see AJ's Another Smashing Success In Iraq. Is this the Military operations that they say the Bishops are against? Tee same type military operations that very well would not have occurred if Iraqi Troops were having to helter skelter take over US positions because Obama had defunded them? AN operation that is being done by Iraqi troops backed up by American Personal that is bringing peace largely with bullets being fired?
The Catholics for Obama piece goes on talking about his view of Iraq. Such as building schools and supporting Iraqi refugees. No doubt the Iraqi Refugee budget will have to go up if Obama comes in to snatch defeat away from the Jaws of Victory.
By the way what the Iraq Catholics and Bishops want? Do they want a rapid withdrawal? OR do they want more protection against Islamic extremist. It seems one cannot have both? Should we not inquire of them of their recent thoughts?
AJ has of course another good piece on all this at Does Obama Have A Clue About Anything?
The Washington Post, no cheerleading rag to say the least for the Bush White House, is again devoting another OP-ED as to what they now must see Obama lack of seeing the changing situation on the Ground. GO see Mr. Zebari's Message Iraq's foreign minister has a chat with Barack Obama.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA told Iraq's foreign minister this week that he plans to visit the country between now and the presidential election. We think that's a good thing, not because Sen. John McCain has been prodding the candidate to do it but because it will give Mr. Obama an opportunity to refresh his badly outdated plan for Iraq. To do that, the Democrat needs to listen more to dedicated Iraqi leaders like Hoshyar Zebari, the foreign minister -- who, it seems, didn't hold back during their telephone conversation. ......
Nineteen months later, the situation in Iraq has changed dramatically, with violence down 75 percent from its peak and the Iraqi government and army in control of most of the country. But Mr. Obama has not altered his position: He still proposes withdrawing most U.S. troops according to a fixed timetable, set to the most rapid pace at which commanders have said American forces could be pulled out.
Mr. Zebari, who has served as foreign minister in every Iraqi government since 2003, finds Mr. Obama's proposal worrying. In a meeting with Post editors and reporters Tuesday, he said that after all the pain and sacrifices of the past five years, "we are just turning the corner in Iraq." A precipitous withdrawal, he said, "would create a huge vacuum and undo all the gains and achievements. And the others" -- enemies of the United States -- "would celebrate." ....
The foreign minister said "my message" to Mr. Obama "was very clear. . . . Really, we are making progress. I hope any actions you will take will not endanger this progress." He said he was reassured by the candidate's response, which caused him to think that Mr. Obama might not differ all that much from Mr. McCain. Mr. Zebari said that in addition to promising a visit, Mr. Obama said that "if there would be a Democratic administration, it will not take any irresponsible, reckless, sudden decisions or action to endanger your gains, your achievements, your stability or security. Whatever decision he will reach will be made through close consultation with the Iraqi government and U.S. military commanders in the field."
Many some supporters want to still talk about "Illegal Occupation" and such comments from a high level official in elected Govt from Iraq sort of is a downer to that talking point.
SO should we rejoice. Should we think that Obama if elected will act in a sane way? Well I was hopeful. Till as AJ pointed out Obama seems to have retracted what he just said to a very important Foreign leader.
GO see Obama and Iraqi Foreign Minister Have Different Memories of their Conversation.
On Monday, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, talked on the phone with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari.
At a press availability in Michigan, I asked Obama if Zebari had expressed any concern to him that his plans to withdrawal U.S. troops as president would undo any security advances.
"No, he did not express that," Obama said. "He did emphasize his belief that we've made real progress and I think was eager to see political accommodations between the factions follow up in the wake of this progress.
"I think that he expressed what President Maliki has expressed as well," Obama continued, "which is that the Iraqis are obviously concerned about their sovereignty and are not seeking a long term occupation by the U.S. And so my sense is that we should be able to execute a withdrawal and set a timeframe - a timetable that continues to allow US forces to support Iraqi forces in going after terrorists, that continues to train the Iraqi police and military as long as we're not training militias that are turning on each other. One area that I think is important to emphasize is that as a consequence of a huge spike in oil prices - the Iraqi government's budget is twice as large as it anticipated and so I think its important for the Iraqis to start picking up more of the tab both for reconstruction efforts as well as the need to continue to boost their military capacity."
So the Foreign Minister of Iraq is lying? Obama needs to read the Washington Post where the Iraq Foreign Minister said:
"When he sees that you commit yourself to a certain timetable, he will use this to increase pressure and attacks, to make it look as though he is forcing you out. We have many actors who would love to take advantage of that opportunity."
Is this part of the new improved Obama Diplomacy the Catholic sfor Obama are raving about?
IS this Obama talking about out both sides of his mouth again? Is this the new politics of Hope and Change?
As one commenter at AJ's site said:
Obama is always talking out of both sides of his mouth and this is the latest example. Is it any different than when he trashed NAFTA in the primary race as wrong, wrong, bad, bad…..while telling Canada not to worry…..it was all political rhetoric….NAFTA really just fine with him?
How true. It appears the most powerful Religious Leader in Iraq the Grand Ayatollah Sistani has came out and threw his support behind long term partnership with the US:
"A representative of top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Friday called Iraqi officials to show patience during the U.S.-Iraq long-term deal negotiations, terming pledges of withdrawing foreign troops from Iraq as transitory and elections-oriented."
Embarrassing!!! The most important Iraqi Cleric has basically just appears to have called Obama a political hack!!! Who else is he talking about. It can't be McCain because his position on withdrawal does not mirror this. I hate to say Obama has done nothing in the last few days to help his case against the perception of Sistani.
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