Joe Wilson is Wrong About Obama

[BeyondGeography]

By Brent Budowsky

No one has been a stronger supporter of Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson than I have, having been one of the original writers of the CIA Identities Protection Act, and someone who believes not only that Valerie was wronged, but that those who committed the wrong committed grave acts that harmed our country. The nation owes a debt to Joe Wilson for warning us about the falsehoods and sounding the alarm in favor of truth prior to the catastrophic decision, which Hillary Clinton was one of the most aggressive supporters of, to go to war in Iraq.

Regarding his defense of Hillary, his attack on Obama, and the personal tone of his attack on Obama (a demeaning tone that is symbolic of so much that has gone wrong with Hillary's presidential campaign, I just flat out disagree.

Regarding Hillary Clinton's experience, by far her most important national security experience in her entire life was her five years of all-out support for the Iraq war. Her aggressive and uncompromising support for the war in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Her most recent major experience with national security was her vote for the Lieberman-Kyl resolution, which she falsely portrayed as a vote for diplomacy with Iran, when in truth it was a neocon-inspired push by those who favored war with Iran, as they favored war with Iraq.

Obama has done more than enough foreign travel, but in truth, who cares? I wish I had a dollar for every supporter of the Iraq war in Congress, who spent year after year of this nightmare war regaling us about their latest trip to Iraq and how everything was going just great as they learned on their latest trip. I was for Al Gore in 2008, and am not behind any candidate just yet, though it is clear that the tone of Hillary's campaign has created huge ill will alienating indepenent voters which is why she usually runs well behind the other Democrats against leading Republicans.

Joe's personal attack against Obama, so common among the Hillary surrogates and supporters, is exactly the disrespectful tone that moves beyond appropriate criticism and creates enormous ill will against Hillary from large numbers of independents, and a growing number of Democrats. Who was not saddened by the pathetic spectacle of Bob Kerrey, a good man I once supported for President, engaging in four days of "Barack Hussein Muslin Madrassa Obama" discussion?

What America wants, Obama gets, and in some ways, Edwards gets as well. What America does not want, is four years of neo-Bush style personal attacks in their living rooms and their lives of the kind that the Hillar surrogates make a daily art form. What Obama gets, is that America wants to turn the page, to a new era of civility and decency in our politics and an era when Democrats no longer engage in the daily maneuvering, positioning, triangulations, careerism and nastiness of politics...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brent-budowsky/joe-wilson-is-wrong-about_b_78267.html

[Democrat 4 Ever]

1. Opinions, like assholes, everyone has one. I personally think

Joe Wilson is spot on about Obama. Nothing personal, Obama just isn't ready for the big game yet no matter how much people claim he is. Give him eight years of seasoning and I'd give him a much more serious look see. Until then he is down at the bottom of MY rankings above Gavel but below anybody else.

Aren't you glad that everyone just has one primary vote?:hi:

[BeyondGeography]

3. Budowsky's saying you can have an opinion without being an asshole

and Project Restoration has been unable to control its inner asshole. :hi:

[elizm]

24. Opinions without being an asshole...what a concept. :) nt

[NYCGirl]

4. Eight years of seasoning?

Eight years of marinating in that poisonous political soup as it is now? No thanks.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Yep--"seasoning" = learning how to trade away your principles for political advantage.

I like Obama right where he's at.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

20. Obama's already traded away his principles

those "present" votes being just one of many clues.

[TwilightGardener]

22. Bull-Shi'ite. Abstaining from voting is not necessarily a violation of principles.

Sometimes it's actually a SAFEGUARDING of principles, especially when the legislation is badly written or reasoned. Better than being drawn in to supporting or opposing legislation for purely political reasons. Now, who do we know who does THAT?

[Tellurian]

33. Another Pity Party for Obama..

The guy can't take the heat and respond on his own to the naysayers..How cowardly of Obama to hide behind journalists for political cover.. Sissy poo! Obama will be torn to shreds when the msm turns against him in the GE and supports the GOP..

Good Luck to Little Lord Fauntleroy, Presidential wannabe! He cannot FIGHT for himself; How can he FIGHT for me?

[CTLawGuy]

36. Do yourself a favor

and ask someone who knows how the IL legislature works before you shoot your mouth off, unless of course you are just looking for an excuse to bash Obama.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

38. Obama's already pulled this in the US Senate

so no need to look very far for more of his cowardice.

[CTLawGuy]

42. bullshit

Dodd showed more cowardice in voting for IWR.

[bagimin]

39. Yeah, what was it?.....

like 60 out of THOUSANDS of votes?!?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. the problem is what those few votes were on

it seems the real tough votes are too tough on him when it comes to casting the actual vote.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Joe Wilson is a Hillary shill. On the subject of politics, I dismiss anything he has to say

as slanted and biased. He wants a job if Hillary wins, nothing more. Same with Clark.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. And you know this how? Wilson tell you he wants a job with Hill or

are you just surmising that he does? Hell, any Democratic administration would be lucky to have such experience on the payroll. Just because he has a valid point of view about someone you don't like doesn't make him shilling for a job. Jeez.

Sorry if the asshole comment was taken out of context - wasn't calling anyone an asshole just stating that everyone has their own point of view.

[MethuenProgressive]

5. Another prObama, anti-Clinton hitjob from HuffPo? I'm shocked!

America does not want more neo-Bush style personal attacks in their living rooms and their lives of the kind that the Obama surrogates make a daily art form.

[Adelante]

7. Recommended

Thanks for posting this other viewpoint than what we've been seeing from the Clinton camp.

[SoFlaJet]

8. ...and here it is....

Regarding Hillary Clinton's experience, by far her most important national security experience in her entire life was her five years of all-out support for the Iraq war. Her aggressive and uncompromising support for the war in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Her most recent major experience with national security was her vote for the Lieberman-Kyl resolution, which she falsely portrayed as a vote for diplomacy with Iran, when in truth it was a neocon-inspired push by those who favored war with Iran, as they favored war with Iraq.


THE #1 reason I don't like Hillary Clinton...there are a LOT of us progressives that take this kind of stuff seroiusly-any support for anything put forth by Joe Lieberman and his neo-con allies rubs us the wrong way. Great...all of her 'experience' gets us is a vote like this...no thanks Edwards for me

[ccpup]

10. the same Edwards that

strongly pushed the Iraq War through his Senate Speeches in 2002 and voted for it?

[SoFlaJet]

16. yea the same guy who was lied to

about mushroom clouds and nukes...but he would have NEVER voted for Kyl-LIEberman like YOUR girl did...for that vote alone-I would never vote for her-unless I had no other choice

[ccpup]

17. fair enough n/t

[Adelante]

19. The same guy who never bothered to read the National Intelligence Estimate

The one his own Intelligence Committee ordered and received and which contradicted Bush's case for war. The same guy who co-sponsored the IWR. The same guy who voted against every single mitigating amendment. At least Clinton voted for an amendment which would have limited the force authority to one year. Edwards couldn't even do that much, which wasn't much to begin with. But I would vote for Clinton any day, if she and Edwards were the only two choices.

[druidity33]

27. yeah, but...

he said he was sorry...

:shrug:

[LSK]

37. Yeah, just like Valery Plame who thought Saddam had WMD

[ccpup]

9. from the Huffington Post?

an anti-Hillary (or anti-Hillary Supporter) diatribe? NO! Say it ain't so!

I think Joe Wilson is right about Obama. Whenever I bring his name up in conversation, the prevailing sentiment is that he's too new to the World Stage and, with all that needs to be fixed and dealt with, we really do need someone as President with a greater understanding of what this job takes. And as nice as he seems to be and with all his good intentions, his feet are still wet when it comes to the important issues that need addressing from Day One.

And for anyone to believe that the attacks -- personal or otherwise -- will somehow stop if Obama is the Nominee or, heaven help us, the President, well, I want what they're smoking.

If Obama is blissfully unaware that the media will cruelly and callously slice and dice him should he be the Nominee (and there is some "there" there for seemingly salacious scandal, it seems) and, more frightening, if he and his campaign are unprepared for the inevitability of it, then he and his Supporters are much more dangerously naive than I thought.

[NYCGirl]

The Huffington Post also employs Taylor Marsh, who churns out pro-Hillary

and anti-Obama screeds at a blinding pace.

[ccpup]

12. it's well known that Arianna

is no fan of Hillary's.

[NYCGirl]

14. Well, then it's sure nice of her to publish Marsh, isn't it? NT

[ieoeja]

18. And yet, he has infinitely more experience than the last two presidents.

Neither Bill Clinton nor W had a single day of experience on the World Stage prior to taking office.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

23. Maybe, but at least Bill is smart, of course, Chucklenuts isn't. 'Nuff said.

The learning curve for an intelligent person as oppose to one dumb ass motherf*ckcer is the proof in the pudding in the last two administrations. I haven't seen anything that indicates Obama has the mental capability to succeed with on the job training as his limited time in the Senate has been less than astounding. I see Obama as an outstanding future leader in the Democratic Party, I just don't see him as presidential material right now.

[Missy M]

11. Is this the same Brent Budowsky......

who said Reagan had a large lifetime goal to abolish nuclear weapons and pursued that goal courageously and relentlessly. No thanks, Obama can have him.

[Evergreen Emerald]

13. Indeed it is. The very same n/t

[Bitwit1234]

21. Sooooooooo if you are not for Obama you are all wrong

damn --- what reasoning. Now the Obama American Idolers are trying to tell you who to vote for and not vote for...told everybody they were a bunch of republicans in disguise.

[Evergreen Emerald]

25. The writer works for his campaign? Notice how she uses "attacks" again and again?

They have an agenda: "Clinton is attacking." That is the same mantra the Bush used against Gore, with the help of the media.

Planned, disingenuous attack against Joe Wilson designed only for political gain. Attacking Joe Wilson for political gain.

Will Obama stoop no lower?

[Perry Logan]

26. It's bizarre. Obama people seem to think any form of criticism is a vicious attack.

[Evergreen Emerald]

29. It is a political ploy: the same one that Bush used on Gore

calling everything he did an "attack."

What bothers me about this, is that Obama was willing to throw Joe Wilson under the bus for political gain.

[Cameron27]

30. It's their strategy and it's working.

I heard a pundit on CNN or MSNBC say it was like a child poking at his big sister. When she had enough & hit back, he went running to his mother and she's the one who got punished.

[CyberPieHole]

32. Of course it won't work if Obama gets the nod...

the "librul" media won't let a Democrat win without putting them through the wringer...but, of course, by then it will be too late...Obama has not been vetted and any criticism is scoffed off by his supporters who cry racism and bigotry at every turn. I don't trust the media to give Obama a pass the way they did for Bush...the media is made up of mostly conservatives who know that Obama would be sure to lose in the GE.

[LSK]

35. wasnt Hillary playing that game during the summer?

:shrug:

[oasis]

28. Joe Wilson wasn't "saddened" by the "muslim, madrassa, Hussein" dust up.

I guess we can add "racist" to the list of Joe's character flaws.:sarcasm::eyes:

[AtomicKitten]

31. Joe Wilson is entitled to his opinion and I'm entitled to disagree with him.

[democratsin08]

34. i have to agree with joe wilson

he seems rather accurate in this instance

[Cha]

41. Thank you, Brent Budowsky!

"Regarding Hillary Clinton's experience, by far her most important national security experience in her entire life was her five years of all-out support for the Iraq war. Her aggressive and uncompromising support for the war in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. Her most recent major experience with national security was her vote for the Lieberman-Kyl resolution, which she falsely portrayed as a vote for diplomacy with Iran, when in truth it was a neocon-inspired push by those who favored war with Iran, as they favored war with Iraq."

What is it about hillary's surrogates? They turn ugly when they attack her opponents.

"Joe's personal attack against Obama, so common among the Hillary surrogates and supporters, is exactly the disrespectful tone that moves beyond appropriate criticism and creates enormous ill will against Hillary from large numbers of independents, and a growing number of Democrats. Who was not saddened by the pathetic spectacle of Bob Kerrey, a good man I once supported for President, engaging in four days of "Barack Hussein Muslin Madrassa Obama" discussion?"