Candidates Address The Veterans Of Foreign Wars Convention

Hillary Clinton suggests that some of Bush’s surge plan in Iraq is working during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention on Monday. “We’ve begun to change tactics in Iraq, and in some areas, particularly in Al Anbar province, it’s working,” Clinton said. “We’re just years too late in changing our tactics.” “We can’t ever let that happen again,” she added. “We can’t be fighting the last war. We have to keep preparing to fight the new war.” I guess Clinton says what ever she thinks her audience wants to hear. She did admit it was a mistake to give President Bush the authority to do what he did in Iraq during the last debate. Clinton sidesteps the fact that she too, was a part of that mistake. Clinton was soon attacked for flip flopping on her position on Iraq. Democratic rival Bill Richardson said in a statement, “The fact is the surge is not working. I do not give President Bush the same credit on Iraq that Hillary does.” Fred Thompson was also at the convention and had some more support for the Iraq war. He said he thought the nation was in denial when dealing with the threat of terrorism. “I don’t think that yet as a nation we have come to terms with the nature and the extent of the threat facing this country,” Thompson told the crowd of veterans. Thompson said he felt the nation was at a crossroads and, “it’s time that we had a frank discussion in this country at the highest levels with both parties as to what it’s going to take and the unity we’re going to need.” So he wants a bipartisan agreement of his ideas. Thompson also attacked those that want to pull the troops out of Iraq, the cut and run crowd. “Some people in this country apparently think that if we can pull out of Iraq, our problems are going to be over. You and I know better than that. We know that Iraq is an important front in this war,” Thompson said. Thompson also mention the Al Anbar province as a sign of progress in Iraq. Barack Obama also addressed the VFW convention and promised to take care of veterans after they return from war. “We honor your service and we enter into a sacred trust with you from the moment you put on that uniform,” Obama told the nation’s veterans. “That trust is simple. America will be there for you just as you have been there for America.” Obama added, “As a candidate for the presidency, I know that I am running to become commander-in-chief, to safeguard this nation’s security, and to keep that sacred trust. There is no responsibility that I take more seriously.”
Alan Cosgrove