Why is McCain getting credit for stealing Senator Obama's plan for Afghanistan?

[Seen the light]

I've been hearing glossy and fawning reviews of Senator McCain's new plan to send more troops to Afghanistan, but......hasn't that been Senator Obama's plan all along? Why no mention of this? Am I the only one that remembers him talking about that repeatedly in the debates?

[bunnies]

1. I remember it very clearly. It pissed a lot of people on DU off.

The media's bias toward McSame is sickening. :puke:

[babylonsister]

2. Because that's how the m$m operates? TPM has noticed...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/204182.php

Halperin's World

Here I think is an example of news judgment within the DC bell jar.

As I noted below, the 'news' today, as in things that have happened today and are newsworthy, is the fact that John McCain has dropped his position on Afghanistan and embraced the one Obama has been pushing for the last year. (As a secondary matter, we can note that McCain doesn't have the troops for his new position because they're tied down in Iraq. But let's not expect too much.)

And look at the headline at Mark Halperin's The Page: "Obama Acknowledges "Shift in Emphasis" on Issues."

And here's Halperin's gloss on McCain's new Afghanistan strategy: McCain "highlights the success of the surge (and Obama's opposition to it), says the troop increase strategies used in Iraq should also be applied to Afghanistan."

It's almost comical. It doesn't fit the script so it didn't happen.

And this...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/15/is-obama-forcing-mccain-t_n_112890.html

McCain Adopts Obama's Afghanistan Policy

[Seen the light]

3. Thanks, hadn't seen that

[Disturbed]

4. The US Corp Moguls want a Rethug Admin.

It doesn't matter if it is McAsshole or not, as long as a Rethug is in power.
The US Corp Moguls keep their power with a Rethug Admin.

[Peacetrain]

10. Ah Yep! you have hit the nail

[Cha]

5. Rec'd~ this needs to be on

the Greatest Page. The only way we can fight the mediawhores is to expose them.

[fascisthunter]

6. why? Because the Media is a voice box for Corporate America

and that usually favors pro-corporate Republican agendas.

[southern_belle]

7. kick

[ErinBerin84]

8. yeah, you can really see the Rove influence on the campaign,

Turn your opponents strength into his weakness...even if that means, uh, stealing his plan and taking credit for it!

[karynnj]

9. Before Obama - it was Feingold and Kerry

Here's a September 2006 resolution - that you can see got no traction.
S.RES.591
Title: A resolution calling for the strengthening of the efforts of the United States to defeat the Taliban and terrorist networks in Afghanistan and to help Afghanistan develop long-term political stability and economic prosperity.
Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. (introduced 9/29/2006) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 9/29/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Jump to: Summary, Major Actions, All Actions, Titles, Cosponsors, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments
SUMMARY AS OF:
9/29/2006--Introduced.

Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States must strengthen its commitment to establishing stability and peace in Afghanistan; (2) the United States, in partnership with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the government of Afghanistan, must increase its efforts to eradicate the Taliban, terrorist organizations, and criminal networks currently operating in Afghanistan; (3) the United States, in consultation with ISAF and the government of Afghanistan, should consider all options necessary to implement a comprehensive new program to eliminate opium production in Afghanistan; (4) the United States should work to hold the international community accountable for delivering on financial pledges made to support development and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan; (5) the United States and the international community, in concert with the government of Afghanistan, should increase efforts to strengthen the legitimacy of the government of Afghanistan; (6) the United States should increase economic assistance for reconstruction, social and economic development, counternarcotics efforts, and democracy promotion in Afghanistan; (7) the President, through the Secretary of State, should develop a comprehensive interagency stabilization and reconstruction strategy in coordination with the international community and the government of Afghanistan; (8) the President, through the Secretary of Defense, should evaluate the impact that U.S. military operations in Iraq are having on U.S. government reconstruction and counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan; and (9) the President should present to Congress a status report on Afghanistan.
MAJOR ACTIONS:

***NONE***

ALL ACTIONS:

9/29/2006:
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S10748-10749)

TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)

***NONE***

COSPONSORS(1), ALPHABETICAL : (Sort: by date)


Sen Kerry, John F. - 9/29/2006

COMMITTEE(S):

Committee/Subcommittee: Activity:
Senate Foreign Relations Referral, In Committee

RELATED BILL DETAILS:

***NONE***

AMENDMENT(S):

***NONE***

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Both Kerry and Feingold gave speeches - Kerry's Real Security Speech given in September 2006 was great and is on Johnkerry.com


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This has since then been an idea that the key Democrats on the SFRC and Hagel back. This takes nothing from Obama. He made it an issue in his campaign.