Monday, February 12, 2007

Until the War Ends ... : Bob Herbert

THE COMPLETE ARTICLE
The New York Times

OP-ED COLUMNIST

Until the War Ends ...

By BOB HERBERT
Published: February 12, 2007

Senator Barack Obama gave us an excellent reason for being serious about the 2008 presidential election: There’s a war on.


Almost all the talk about the 2008 presidential election is about the horse race: Who’s up? Who’s down? Can Hillary hold her lead? Can a pro-choice, pro-gay-rights candidate like Rudy Giuliani outrun a hawkish maverick like John McCain?

It’s a sport. It’s fun. Why spoil it by being too serious?

Senator Barack Obama, in his speech in Illinois Saturday formally launching his presidential bid, gave us an excellent reason for being serious:

Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a war on.

After going through a litany of lofty goals for a new generation to strive for, including health care for all Americans, a rejuvenated public education system, an end to poverty and real progress in dealing with global warming, the senator offered a hard and simple truth:

“All of this cannot come to pass until we bring an end to this war in Iraq.”

The war — which, in addition to its human toll, will ultimately cost $2 trillion or more — has put America in a straitjacket, precluding progress on a range of important issues that will only worsen with continued neglect.

The public seems to understand this. It was voters fed up with the war who snatched control of both houses of Congress from the Republicans in last November’s elections. And they were the ones giving Senator Hillary Clinton a hard time in New Hampshire over the weekend.

***

"... all further progress on important issues here at home depends on whether we can find the will to extricate ourselves from Iraq."

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1 comment:

Marc Parent mparent7777 mparent CCNWON said...

Obama would consider missile strikes on Iran | Chicago Tribune
http://tinyurl.com/yawtm2

Is Barack any different really than Clinton, Edwards, Mccain, Guliani, and Cheney?

They all appear power mad, cruel,vicious warmongers to me.

Have a nice "fixed" 2008 presidential election, Amerika.