Has Obama voted yay on Iraq war funding since being elected to the Senate?

[IndianaJones]

Present?

He says he would not have voted for the IWR, and I take him at his word.

[jackson_dem]

1. His word on Iraq? He gave "hope" of "change" that he would vote against funding when he ran in 03'

That was when he ran from the left in a crowded field. When he won funding became kosher until he began running for president.

Obama's record:

While running for Senate in 2003, Sen. Obama acknowledged that he took his anti-war speech off his campaign website, calling it 'dated.' Specifically, State Senator Obama maintains that an October 2002 anti-war speech was removed from his campaign web site because - the speech was dated once the formal phase of the war was over, and my staff's desire to continually provide fresh news clips."

In 2004, Sen. Obama said he didn’t know how he would have voted on the Iraq War resolution. When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards' votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, "I'm not privy to Senate intelligence reports,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘What would I have done? I don't know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.’ -- Note: No one disputes that Sen. Obama opposed the war from his "vantage point" as a part-time state senator in Illinois. The point we are making is that Sen. Obama acknowledged that he did not know how he would have voted had his vantage point been from the U.S. Senate.

In 2004, Sen. Obama also said there was little difference between his position and George Bush’s position on Iraq. In a meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters at the Democratic National Convention, Obama said, "On Iraq, on paper, there's not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago. <...> There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage."

Until he ran for president, Sen. Obama supported every funding bill for Iraq, some $300 billion. <2005 Vote # 117, HR1268, 5/10/05; 2005 Vote # 326, S1042, 11/15/05; 2006 Vote # 112, HR4939, 5/4/06; 2006 Vote # 239; 2006 Vote # 186, S2766, 6/22/06, HR5631, 9/7/06>

Sen. Obama waited 18 months to give his first speech on the Senate floor devoted to Iraq, in which he opposed a timeline for withdrawal. Obama said "I'm also acutely aware that a precipitous withdrawal of our troops, driven by Congressional edict rather than the realities on the ground, will not undo the mistakes made by this Administration. It could compound them."

Sen. Obama didn't introduce legislation to end the Iraq war until he started running for president.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=5161

[IndianaJones]

3. he seems much closer to HRC on this issue than say, Kucinich..

or even Edwards.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

2. Why would he vote to fund a war he opposes?

[IndianaJones]

4. I guess theres no present vote in the US Senate. nt.

[jackson_dem]

5. And why didn't he do anything about a war he "opposed"?

As Hillary's memo pointed out, Obama said nothing in the Senate about Iraq for a year and a half. When he spoke out it was to side against Kerry and Feingold's bill to withdraw all troops from Iraq by 2007

[desi]

6. He pushed the wrong button

:shrug:

[IndianaJones]

7. are they color coded in the Senate? nt.

[desi]

12. To tell the truth

the only buttons being pushed at this time are Obama's and he and his supporters can't handle it. But that piece about him voting the "wrong way" because he pushed the wrong button is akin to a billy goat eating his homework.

[IndianaJones]

14. I heard today that the present buttton in the IL legislature is yellow...fitting for Obama. nt.

[desi]

17. He wore that baby out

didn't he? He claims it was done when there was a "coalition" of like minded legislators. If you check the recorded votes you'll find that several times the "coalition" consisted of ONE legislator-----The OBAMA "Coalition." Sometimes 2 or three.

[IndianaJones]

18. I heard that story on NPR. The guy being interviewed said it was baffling at times. nt.

[desi]

21. Check out

Bluebear

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4177958#4178320

[jackson_dem]

22. His "explanations" range from being sketchy to outright whoppers

[Proud2BAmurkin]

11. BAAAAHA

[FrenchieCat]

8. What's your point? If your candidate had voted any different,

you might have one, but since she didn't, you don't.

and The Wrong-from-the-start-on-the-War Kettle calling out the Right-on-War-at-the-start Pot Black, doesn't even make sense. In fact, it makes you look rather silly....because not matter what, Barack was still right more times than Hillary. Get it? Doh! :crazy:

[IndianaJones]

9. So Obama thought the war was wrong when he had no vote...and funded it when he did? nt.

[jackson_dem]

10. That's some real judgment there. Oh, and "change"

[IndianaJones]

13. do Obama supporters like his funding of the war? hard to pin down. nt.

[jackson_dem]

15. He was for funding to support the troops until he began running for the White House

The Obamite excuse is he voted for the troops. So why did he stop doing that when he began running for the White House and needed to placate the anti-war base of the party by voting that way? Obama is the ultimate shapeshifter. Does he ever take a clear stand on anything?

[IndianaJones]

16. nothing would have happened to the troops. the Senate could have ended the war.

and his vote wasn't needed to pass...so he could have shown his dedication to ending the war.

[jackson_dem]

20. Good points. Can Obamites answer them?

[Auntie Bush]

19. I heard he voted to fund the war...exactly the same as Hillary.