Obama Takes Credit for Democratic Iraq

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Obama and the Iraq war, posted with vodpod

December 12, 2011

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: You’ve gotta hear this. Obama just wrapped up a joint press conference with Nouri al-Maliki, the guy who looks like he never shaves. Even five minutes after he shaves, it looks like he needs to shave again. I’d hate to have that problem. I hate shaving, period. This guy’s gotta do it ten times a day if he does it. Anyway, listen to this. Remember now, in 2002 Obama gave a speech in which he said invading Iraq would be a “dumb war,” and throughout the Bush prosecution of the Iraq war, Obama was leading the Democrats in what a mistake it was, how bad it was, look at all the deaths there are, stupid move, crazy move, wouldn’t have done it, blah, blah, blah. Now listen to him take credit for a Democratic Iraq.

OBAMA: When I took office, nearly 150,000 American troops were deployed in Iraq, and I pledged to end this war responsibly. Today, only several thousand troops remain there. This is a season of homecomings, and military families across America are being reunited for the holidays. In the coming days, the last American soldiers will cross the border out of Iraq with honor and with their heads held high. After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq ends this month. I’m proud to welcome prime minister Maliki, the elected leader of a sovereign, self-reliant, and Democratic Iraq.

RUSH: That’s exactly right, and it’s all happening on the Bush timetable. Now, you can choose to believe me or not. I’m not interested in ever being wrong here. It serves no purpose being wrong. Those of you who listen to me in order to have hate validated, I know you’re out there. You gotta hate every day, and I manage to make you hate, but I’m just telling you here, there’s nothing in it for me to be wrong, and this is the Bush timetable that’s been followed to the T, talking about the troop withdrawal. None of this is Obama’s. It’s not his plan. It’s all happening according to the Bush timetable. And Obama just said at his press conference here with Maliki that a Democrat Iraq will be a model for the region. Isn’t that the reason Bush gave for going there? That’s one of the reasons Bush gave for going there was having a democracy in the region and letting that be a blooming flower, so to speak.

There was even a reporter who may not get out of that room uninjured who asked Obama about his statement in 2002, somebody in the press corps, had to be a foreigner, had the nerve to ask Obama about his 2002 speech in which he said that invading Iraq would be a dumb war. Obama muttered something about how history will judge the decision to invade but he has brought democracy to Iraq. And you have to wonder, Maliki, he’s got no choice, he’s gotta stand there and listen to this. Maliki is one of these guys that had to flee Iraq to escape being killed by Saddam Hussein. He only returned after Saddam was overthrown. And he knows standing there that had it been left to a guy like Obama, he’d still be in exile. I was told by a lackey in my IFB, “You’re making a big deal, Obama’s gonna be forgotten about Iraq.” Fine, but he’s not gonna be forgotten in a year. They’re still gonna run on this. At the risk of infuriating his base, except for, if I were Obama, I wouldn’t talk about a Democrat Iraq. I’d just focus on, “I said I was gonna get the troops out and I did.” His base is dumb and stupid enough to fall for that.