RALEIGH—Pop quiz.

Who made the following statement about the Iraq War in June of 2006?

"[H]aving visited Iraq, 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 ... It could compound them. It could compound them by plunging Iraq into an even deeper and, perhaps, irreparable crisis."

A.     John McCain
B.     Hillary Clinton
C.     George Bush
D.     Barack Obama

If you answered Barack Obama, then you are correct.  (Sen. Barack Obama, Congressional Record, 6/21/06, p. S6233)

Now Obama supports just such a precipitous withdrawal and claims he has opposed the war from the beginning.  However, he did not take a public position before calculating the political risks involved.

Obama Considered The Political Implications Before Deciding To Publicly Oppose The War. "Moreover, even [Obama's former campaign manager Dan] Shomon concedes that Obama discussed the politics of his speech beforehand. 'what about the people that are for the war?' Obama asked him. 'Am I gonna have damage politically?'" (Michael Crowley, "Cinderella Story," The New Republic, 2/27/08)

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

“When it comes to national security, Barack Obama has failed the test.  While Barack Obama decided what his position would be according to the latest polling information and the political constituency he was appealing to at the time, John McCain was providing leadership critical to our national security.  Senator McCain was among the first to call for the surge strategy in the war and despite the political risk involved he stood by his decision because he knew it was the right course for the benefit of our troops and our strategy to win the war.  Do the American people want a President who makes decisions based on what will do the least damage to him politically or a Commander-in-Chief who has the experience and judgment to set the right strategy even in the midst of political pressure?  John McCain has been involved with every foreign policy decision for the last twenty years and he has proven time and again that he is the only candidate in this race who has the experience and judgment to keep Americans safe and ensure victory for our troops and allies.”

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