about the surge, at least, that seems to be the common sense meaning of this little nugget: WASHINGTON — President Obama strongly opposed President George W. Bush’s surge in Iraq during his presidential campaign, and even now he has never publicly acknowledged that it was largely successful. But in the White House Situation Room a little more than a month ago, he told his aides, “It turned out to be a good thing.” And as many of Mr. Obama’s own advisers have recounted in recent days in interviews, the decision on the surge of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan by next summer was at least partly inspired by the success of the effort in Iraq, which Mr. Bush’s aides say is their best hope that historians will give them some credit when the history of a highly problematic war is written. ah well, as Tom McGuire has written: If the President wants to reduce partisan rancor and regain the national unity we felt after 9/11, publicly acknowledging the rare successes of his predecessor might make a start.
so do you believe obama is right and therefore bush being right because I could have sworn you called this move pathetic
sort of an "i told you so" but really not a big deal. Politicians are pretty much wrong half the time. If someone can learn from mistakes then all the better.
Uhhh...Obama said he thought the surge worked during the campaign. here here And in at least one of the debates that I saw but now cannot find online.
Bush wasn't right - Patraeus was right. That's the only thing Bush did right about Iraq - was listen to General Patreus.
Iraq and Afghanistan are not the same wars, so it's illogical to compare the strategies. The surge in Iraq was a reaction to an eight year mistake. Obama is still cleaning up Georgie's mess all over the place.
4,000 dead GIs; half a trillion dollars and no WMD = success? Cutting off the water after you flood the goddamned basement isn't an accomplishment. Your boy destroyed our country's credit and killed a whole neighborhood's worth of young men and women to work through a post-alcoholic mid-life crisis. F**k him and anyone else in power who's still trying to rationalize this $1,000-per-head negligent homicide.
Sorry for the bump, but I figured I'd admit this error on my part. If certain other posters can learn from this example, so be it.
