Lieberman attacks Obama's principles
Posted: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 4:40 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Democrats
From NBC/NJ's Matthew E. Berger
Sen. Joe
Lieberman (I-CT) spoke for
McCain Tuesday before the Center for U.S. Global Engagement and said
Obama’s foreign policy plan “troubles” and “confuses” him.
Lieberman said he was unsure whether Obama supports a firm deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq, a more flexible goal.
“I wish Sen. Obama would just say the surge has worked,” Lieberman said, “rather than changing his positions on how and when we should exit Iraq without acknowledging that these changes are understandably based on the facts on the ground.”
As Obama stressed shifting resources towards the conflict in Afghanistan, Lieberman stressed the two front’s interdependence, saying what happens in Iraq effects not just Afghanistan but other American interests around the world.
“What Sen. Obama does not seem to understand is that, had we taken the course he had counseled and retreated from Iraq, the United States would have suffered a catastrophic defeat that would have left America and our allies less safe not just in Baghdad, but in Kandahar and Karachi and Tokyo and London,” he said.
Lieberman also accused Obama of not taking principled stands, suggesting he “said he would be open to changing his plan for Iraq after going there and talking to General Petraeus -- only to change that position a few hours later after being heatedly criticized by organizations like Moveon.org?”
