http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx From NBC's Domenico Montanaro As promised. here are some key excerpts in Obama's just-published article in Foreign Affairs. On Iraq:“We must first bring the Iraq war to a responsible end and refocus our attention on the broader Middle East... Theen-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210100Thu, 31 May 2007 19:17:42 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210100Lauren NY, NYDomenico, Where's your picture? Didn't know you started work already -- nice work on the post. Will there be any analysis of these op-eds?http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210130Thu, 31 May 2007 19:34:00 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210130Paw Paw, NCYou go Obama, you'll open our check book and double or triple our financial commitment(healing the world's troubles as if we weren't already spending beyond our means). You'll make a commitment to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq but we may keep a few over the horizon(how many is a few and where is the horizon). You'll assume a diplomatic posture and see if you can't totally piss off Iran and Syria by trying to change their governments(let them have their nuclear power(we have ours)and run their own government if the people don't like it let them change it). Did you say you were going to insist or just invade Pakistan to search for Bin Laden? You'll broker a peace agreement between Isreal and the Palestinians(If Isreal wants to end it they should go ahead and start by establishing a Palestinian State). Guantanamo, did you say shut it down, I didn't hear you? Last but not least you're going to walk softly but carry a big stick(just in case they don't agree with your plan you'll beat them into submission). If you really want to make a change start by reducing the size of our federal government, take care of the American people and let these other countries and governments do what they've done for hundreds of years. You want to help these other countries do it with food, clean water, but cut off all financial aid supporting corrupt governments.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210208Thu, 31 May 2007 20:17:36 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210208Nick A, Deerfield, ILHey Paw Paw, Eliminating the $200-300 Billion, we spend on the Iraq War each year will put us in a net positive position to Obama's ideas here. Funny that republicans don't have a problem spending $300 Billion a year to kill people but scream when some one wants to spend $50 billion to feed the hungry. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210237Thu, 31 May 2007 20:44:43 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210237buzzOr, Nick, why do they scream about aborting a health-threatening, pending birth, when we can keep killing all the humans that don't believe like we do, and Praise God that He's on 'OUR side' while doing so. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210240Thu, 31 May 2007 20:46:24 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210240John Doe, The Peanut GalleryIn addition to Nick's comments I'd like to point out the international isolationism worked REAL well in the early 1930s. :roll eyes: Like it or not we are part of a global system. The best way to work within that global system is by using diplomacy and financial aide. It's cheaper than randomly invading a country and it pays huge dividens in the long run. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210284Thu, 31 May 2007 21:26:25 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210284Dave, TnIt's amazing the edge democrats have over Republicans on foreign diplomacy when almost half the country isn't so eager to take blame for all that is wrong with the world.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210593Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:15:46 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210593jerry/corpus christi texasFor a country that is attacked so much by liberals all over the world and having Miss USA booed in Mexico and all these people just praying every day for our destruction, they sure are trying every means of transportation to get here. I seem to remember everyone saying that we needed diplomcy to work a deal with Saddam and all the 20-30 resolutions that were sent to Saddam demanding he abide by the Cease fire from the first gulf war and the united nations demanded this and the united nations demanding that and we sat back and watched while Saddam and the UN management got filthy rich with oil revenues and it finally took a man like President Bush to do something about it. Now we have a problem with Iran. The United nations is going right into passing resolution after resolution to demand Iran stop building up their nuclear plants and they are giving everybody in the west the middle finger. Just like that potbelly little four eyed dweeb in North Korea. This time, we are just sitting back and doing nothing. But when push comes to shove and the UN is looking to America to dig the world out of the hole they dug, I think we should just say NO!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210663Fri, 01 Jun 2007 11:08:14 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210663DesmondOur President does not take responsibility for any of his mistakes.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210708Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:00:33 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210708Susan, MiamiOur president is an arrogant, narcissistic man who is slowly unraveling in front of our eyes. Our county is also unraveling.We need an intelligent peacemaker and diplomat in office, not a simpleminded, self-centered, fake macho fool. Obama might be the right man for this country.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210710Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:01:21 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210710OliviaI'm with Desmond. Recently I read a New York Times article about how, since its efforts in Iraq are failing, the Bush Administration is attempting to shift the blame for this failure onto the Iraqis. For me, this is a chilling reminder of Katrina, when BushCo, having showed incompetence every step of the way in the face of New Orleans' flooding, shifted the blame onto that city's and Louisiana's governments.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#210912Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:35:29 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:210912jerry/corpus christi texasOlivia That is very lame. Ray Nagin had the chance to use all those school buses to get more and more people out of New Orleans but failed to do so. The people that wanted to stay were just the hoodlums that wanted to get a piece of the action. I still have a good laugh about that video of the black people pushing that wide screen TV thru about 2 feet of waterthat they stole from an appliance store. While goverment has some problems, the main problems were invented by people themselves. If you cannot handle your own problems. don't expect the goverment to save your miserable souls. My game plan is set for this hurricanse season, is your's Olivia?http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#211033Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:48:02 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:211033CJJerry it must be fun complaining about liberals every waking hour of your life. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#211279Fri, 01 Jun 2007 20:44:27 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:211279JRWhen you see people using the word “liberals” like it is a pejorative, you know they don’t have any cogent arguments to make. Iraq was a monumental failure, engineered by the Neo Cons of PNAC. We need someone fresh, without the K street baggage, to right this ship. I’m an independent so I look to both parties to see who is the man, or woman to do the job. I like Obama, since he strikes me as a straightforward, no nonsense kind of guy who doesn’t let his ego take over, but carefully considers all the realistic options, and is decisive enough to make good decisions. I see no other candidate on either party better than Obama. The only question in my mind is who would make an ideal VP for Obama? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/31/210037.aspx#211549Sat, 02 Jun 2007 04:44:43 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:211549jerry/corpus christi texaswell, CJ, the liberals do come up with the dumbest of ideas. Socialized medicine? Carbon Credits? Oil free in 30 years? Some of thse liberal candidates must really have some primo grass to dream up stuff like this.