ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released its newest television ad entitled "Troop Funding." The ad highlights Barack Obama's record of failing to call a single oversight hearing on NATO's mission in Afghanistan, failing to visit our troops on the ground in Iraq for over 900 days and failing to support our troops when he voted against critical funding in 2007. The ad will air on national cable and in key states.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm9IUfPZsX8

Script For "Troop Funding" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan.

He hasn't been to Iraq in years.

He voted against funding our troops.

Positions that helped him win his nomination. Now Obama is changing to help himself become president.

John McCain has always supported our troops and the surge that's working.

McCain. Country first.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: Script For "Troop Funding" (TV :30)

ANNCR: Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan.

· Barack Obama: "I became Chairman of this committee at the beginning of this campaign, at the beginning of 2007. So it is true that we haven't had oversight hearings on Afghanistan." (MSNBC Democratic Presidential Debate, 2/26/08)

ANNCR: He hasn't been to Iraq in years.

· Barack Obama Has Not Been To Iraq Since January 2006. "The fact that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama hasn't visited Iraq since January 2006 well before the troop surge has become a spirited campaign issue. On the home page of the Republican National Committee a live streamer lists the days, hours, minutes and seconds since Obama's only trip to Iraq. His lack of a recent firsthand view means he "has no credibility discussing the future of Iraq," says Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan." (Philip Dine, "Obama Takes Heat On Lack Of Iraq Trips," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 6/15/08)

· Barack Obama Has Been To Iraq Once -- In January 2006. "Obama, the nation's only black senator, met with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Saturday. He said before his two-day trip to Iraq that he wanted to ask U.S. Commanders for a realistic time frame on bringing troops home." (Jason Straziuso, "U.S. Senate's Only Black Member Says Minorities Must Be More Involved In Iraq's Government," The Associated Press, 1/7/06)

ANNCR: He voted against funding our troops.

· Barack Obama Voted Against Providing $94.4 Billion In Critical Funding For The Troops In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 2206, CQ Vote #181: Passed 80-14: R 42-3; D 37-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Nay)

ANNCR: Positions that helped him win his nomination. Now Obama is changing to help himself become president. John McCain has always supported our troops and the surge that's working. McCain. Country first.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

Global Talkers for July18, 2008

This week: Who’s the most “active lobbyist for the State Department” and why does he have military officers’ support? Plus, who won the “Battle of the Joes”?

The most “active lobbyist for the State Department” award goes to…

At a U.S. Global Leadership Campaign dinner honoring Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “I think this is the first time in our history that the Secretary of Defense is employed as an active lobbyist for the State Department.”

Anyone present for the Defense Secretary’s speech that followed was not surprised by Rice’s joke. Gates declared,“It has become clear that America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long – relative to what we traditionally spend on the military, and more importantly, relative to the responsibilities and challenges our nation has around the world.”

No wonder both presidential candidates are considering keeping Gates in the Cabinet.

Sec.Gates’ military officers agree

According to the Center for U.S. Global Engagement’s newpoll of post-9/11 military officers, Gates’ military commanders agree with his assessment. As the Center’s bipartisan polling team of Geoff Garin (Peter D. Hart Research Associates) and Bill McInturff (Public Opinion Strategies) wrote in a memo on the poll results, “A significant majority of officers surveyed embrace a new paradigm in which strengthened diplomacy and development assistance are important companions to traditional military tools for achieving America's national security goals.”

“Eighty-four percent (84%) of officers,” Garin and McInturff noted, “say that strengthening non-military tools such as diplomacy and development efforts should be at least equal to strengthening military efforts when it comes to improving America’s ability to address threats to our national security.”

The poll, released Tuesday morning at the Center’s NationalConference, “Election ’08: The Global Impact,” surveyed active duty and recently retired (post-9/11) military officers and their views on the national security challenges facing America and the set of tools required to meet those challenges.

Battle of theJoes

Did the next Secretary of State just speak for his President-to-be? The Center’s conference also included dueling foreign policy addresses by Sen. Joe Lieberman representing the McCain campaign and Sen. Joe Biden representing the Obama campaign. While they both certainly had jabs at their candidates’ respective opponents,what’s gone unnoticed is that both surrogates – and the campaigns they represent – recognized the need to make use of all ourtools of national power – defense, diplomacy and long term investments in global development.

· · About Global Talkers

Global Talkers is a publication of the Center for U.S. Global Engagement (www.usglobalengagement.org), the educational arm of the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, which unites business, civic, military, faith-based, and political leaders around the country to broaden understanding of America’s interests in building a better, safer world. The Center’s Impact ’08: Building a Better, Safer World initiative, chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, calls on the Presidential candidates to elevate and strengthen America’s investments in global development and diplomacy.

Today, John McCain Addresses His Plan For Creating Jobs And Ensuring America's Energy Independence. At the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where GM is developing the Chevy Volt -- the next generation of electric vehicle -- John McCain highlighted how his Lexington Project will encourage ingenuity in America's automobile industry.

John McCain Has Outlined A Clean Car Challenge That Will Increase Access To Zero Emission Cars. John McCain will issue a Clean Car Challenge to the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial tax credit for the consumer based on the reduction of carbon emissions. He will commit a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission car, encouraging automakers to be first on the market with these cars in order to capitalize on the consumer incentives. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.

John McCain Has Proposed A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles. A $300 million prize should be awarded for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. That battery should deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs. At $300 million, the prize is one dollar for every man, woman and child in this country -- and a small price to pay for breaking our dependence on oil.

John McCain Supports Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) And Believes They Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector. In just three years, Brazil went from new cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make 50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012. John McCain calls on automakers to make a more rapid and complete switch to FFVs.

John McCain Believes Alcohol-Based Fuels Hold Great Promise As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing great potential.

Click Here To Learn More About The Lexington Project

"Barack Obama departs for Iraq as early as this weekend, with a media entourage as large as some of his rallies. He'll no doubt learn a lot, in addition to getting a good photo op. What we'll be waiting to hear is whether the would-be Commander in Chief absorbs enough to admit he was wrong about the troop surge in Iraq." -- The Wall Street Journal

Obama's 'Judgment'
Editorial
The Wall Street Journal
July 18, 2008

Barack Obama departs for Iraq as early as this weekend, with a media entourage as large as some of his rallies. He'll no doubt learn a lot, in addition to getting a good photo op. What we'll be waiting to hear is whether the would-be Commander in Chief absorbs enough to admit he was wrong about the troop surge in Iraq.

Mr. Obama has made a central basis of his candidacy the "judgment" he showed in opposing the Iraq war in 2002, even if it was a risk-free position to take as an Illinois state senator. The claim helped him win the Democratic primaries. But the 2007 surge debate is the single most important strategic judgment he has had to make on the more serious stage as a Presidential candidate. He vocally opposed the surge, and events have since vindicated Mr. Bush. Without the surge and a new counterinsurgency strategy, the U.S. would have suffered a humiliating defeat in Iraq.

Yet Mr. Obama now wants to ignore that judgment, and earlier this week his campaign erased from its Web site all traces of his surge opposition. Lest media amnesia set in, here is what the Obama site previously said:

"The problem -- the Surge: The goal of the surge was to create space for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. Moreover, Iraq's political leaders have made no progress in resolving the political differences at the heart of their civil war."

Mr. Obama's site now puts a considerably brighter gloss on the surge. Yet the candidate himself shows no signs of rethinking. In a foreign-policy address Tuesday, the Senator described the surge, in effect, as a waste of $200 billion, an intolerable strain on military resources and a distraction from what he sees as a more important battle in Afghanistan. He faulted Iraq's leaders for failing to make "the political progress that was the purpose of the surge." And his 16-month timetable for near-total withdrawal apparently remains firm.

It would be nice if Mr. Obama could at least get his facts straight. Earlier this month, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad reported that the Iraqi government had met 15 of the 18 political benchmarks set for it in 2006. The Sunni bloc in Iraq's parliament is returning to the government after a year's absence. Levels of sectarian violence have held steady for months -- at zero. (In January 2007, Mr. Obama had predicted on MSNBC that the surge would not only fail to curb sectarian violence, but would "do the reverse.") If this isn't sufficient evidence of "genuine political accommodation," we'd like to know what, in his judgment, is.

The freshman Senator also declared that "true success will take place when we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future -- a government that prevents sectarian conflict, and ensures that the al Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not re-emerge."

Yet the reason Iraq is finally getting that kind of government is precisely because of the surge, which neutralized al Qaeda and gave Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the running room to confront Moqtada al-Sadr's Shiite Mahdi Army. And the reason the U.S. can now contemplate more troop withdrawals is because the surge has created the conditions that mean the U.S. would not be leaving a security vacuum. On Wednesday, Mr. Maliki's government assumed security responsibility in yet another province, meaning a majority of provinces are now under full Iraqi control.

Mr. Obama acknowledges none of this. Instead, his rigid timetable for withdrawal offers Iraq's various groups every reason to seek their security in local militias such as the Mahdi Army or even al Qaeda, thereby risking a return to the desperate situation it confronted in late 2006.

The Washington Post has criticized this as obstinate, and Democratic foreign policy analyst Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution reacted this way: "To say you're going to get out on a certain schedule -- regardless of what the Iraqis do, regardless of what our enemies do, regardless of what is happening on the ground -- is the height of absurdity."

Mr. Obama does promise to "consult with commanders on the ground and the Iraqi government" in implementing his plans. But he would have shown more sincerity on this score had he postponed Tuesday's address until after he visited Iraq and had a chance to speak with those generals and Iraqis. The timing of his speech made it appear not that he is open to what General David Petraeus tells him, but that he wants to limit the General's military options.

Mr. Bush has often been criticized for refusing to admit his Iraq mistakes, but he proved that wrong in ordering the surge that reversed his policy and is finally winning the war. The next President will now take office with the U.S. in a far better security position than 18 months ago. Mr. Obama could help his own claim to be Commander in Chief, and ease doubts about his judgment, if he admits that Mr. Bush was right.

Read The Editorial

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new video entitled "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand." Examining his many statements on Iraq over the last several years, the video is a timeline of Barack Obama's political positioning on the most critical national security issue America faces today. As the video concludes, Barack Obama's positions on Iraq are shaped by "whatever the politics demand."

VIEW THE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEIi4XKRmM

Script For "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever The Politics Demand" (VIDEO 7:40)

CHYRON: The Obama Iraq Documentary

CHYRON: Where Does Barack Obama Stand On Iraq?

CHYRON: Said The Surge Would Make Things Worse

BARACK OBAMA (1/10/07): "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

CHYRON: Said He Always Said The Surge Will Make Things Better

BARACK OBAMA (1/5/08): "And I said at the time, when I opposed the surge, that given how wonderfully our troops perform, if we place 30,000 more troops in there, then we would see an improvement in the security situation and we would see a reduction in the violence."

CHYRON: Translation: You're Never Wrong If You Pretend You Gave The Right Answer All Along

CHYRON: Predicted That The Surge Would Fail

BARACK OBAMA (10/22/06): "Given the deteriorating situation, it is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve."

BARACK OBAMA (7/18/07): "My assessment is that the surge has not worked and we will not see a different report eight weeks from now."

BARACK OBAMA (11/11/07): "Finally, in 2006-2007, we started to see that, even after an election, George Bush continued to want to pursue a course that didn't withdraw troops from Iraq but actually doubled them and initiated a surge and at that stage I said very clearly, not only have we not seen improvements, but we're actually worsening, potentially, a situation there."

CHYRON: Now Says It's Working

BARACK OBAMA (2/21/08): "I think it is indisputable that we've seen violence reduced in Iraq."

BARACK OBAMA (4/8/08): "I also think that the surge has reduced violence and provided breathing room."

BARACK OBAMA (7/2/08): "The extraordinary work that our troops have done. They have performed brilliantly throughout the process. And obviously, I am very pleased to see the reductions in violence that have occurred over the last several months. There's no doubt that because of their heroism and their outstanding work, we had the opportunity to salvage the situation in Iraq."

CHYRON: Translation: He Isn't Going To Let Facts Get In The Way Of His Position

CHYRON: For Immediate Withdrawal

BARACK OBAMA (9/12/07): "So let me be clear. There is no military solution in Iraq. There never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year, but now."

BARACK OBAMA (3/19/08): "In order to end this war responsibly, I will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. We can responsibly remove one to two combat brigades each month. If we start with the number of brigades we have in Iraq today, we can remove all of them in 16 months."

BARACK OBAMA (5/2/08): "When I promise that we are going to bring this war in Iraq to a close in 2009, I want the American people to understand that I opposed this war in 2002, 2003, '04, '05, '06 and '07, so you can have confidence that I will be serious about ending this war."

CHYRON: Against Immediate Withdrawal

ANCHOR (4/5/04): "You've said you thought troops should be withdrawn." BARACK OBAMA: "No. No, I've never said that troops should be withdrawn. What I've said is that we've got to make sure that we secure and execute the rebuilding and reconstruction process effectively and properly and I don't think we should have an artificial deadline when to do that."

BARACK OBAMA (6/21/06): "A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy."

CHYRON: Translation: Changes His Position To Fit the Election

CHYRON: Against Funding The Troops

BARACK OBAMA (11/16/03): "Just this week, when I was asked, would I have voted for the $87 billion, I said no. And I said no unequivocally, because, at a certain point, we have to say no to George Bush."

CHYRON: For Funding The Troops

BARACK OBAMA (4/5/04): "What's important is what I don't want a situation in which we have 80 or 90,000 young American men and women who are over there in a situation where they do not have the resources sufficient to ensure their own protection. And what we have to do is make sure that we have enough troop strength. As long as we have troops there, we have to make sure we have enough troop strength to make sure we are safe and secure."

BARACK OBAMA (1/10/07): "We've got to make sure that they have all the resources necessary to come home safely and to execute the missions that have been laid out for them."

CNN'S WOLF BLITZER (3/28/07): "Some ardent opponents of the war, like Dennis Kucinich, for example, who is a Democratic presidential candidate" BARACK OBAMA: "Right." BLITZER: "He takes a principled stand. He's not going to vote to fund the troops going off to this war, because he believes that would help bring the troops home." OBAMA: "Right. You know, the problem is, is that you have got an obstinate administration that has shown itself unwilling to change, in the face of circumstances on the ground. And, in that situation, what you don't want to do is to play chicken to -- with the president, and create a situation in which, potentially, you don't have body armor; you don't have reinforced humvees; you don't have night-vision goggles."

ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (5/13/07): "You said then that you have to say 'no' to George Bush because we can't get steamrolled. Yet you go in the Senate, your critics say, and vote for the funding every single time." BARACK OBAMA: "Because at that point you've got hundreds of thousands of young men and women who have to carry out the mission on behalf of the American people."

CHYRON: Against Funding The Troops -- Again

BARACK OBAMA (6/19/07): "Now, I introduced a plan in January that would have already started bringing our troops home by now, with the goal of bringing all combat brigades home by March 31st, 2008. Now we know the president vetoed a bipartisan plan just like that one a few weeks ago. And I'm proud I voted against giving a blank check."

CHYRON: Translation: Only in Barack Obama's Mind Is Voting Against Troops A Virtue

CHYRON: Says He Will Put A Strike Force In Iraq

BARACK OBAMA (3/19/08): "After this redeployment, we will leave enough troops in Iraq to guard our embassy and our diplomats, and a counter-terrorism force to strike al Qaeda."

CHYRON: Says He Won't Put A Strike Force In Iraq

REPORTER (3/31/08): "You've said you'd leave a small force there to deal with terrorist attacks. How long would you leave them there? And what's your criteria for pulling them out?" BARACK OBAMA: "Well, no, no, that's not what I've said. What I've said is that we will have troops looking after our embassy there, which we do everywhere. We do it in France. We do it in Great Britain. We have some military personnel that ensure that our diplomatic forces are taken care of."

CHYRON: Translation: How To Keep Troops In Iraq And Still Sound Like You Want A Withdrawal

CHYRON: So What Is Barack Obama's Position On Iraq?

BARACK OBAMA (6/5/08): "Well, you know, I never say there's nothing or never or no way in which I'd change my mind."

CHYRON: Translation: Barack Obama's Position: Whatever the Politics Demand

AD FACTS For "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever The Politics Demand" (VIDEO 7:40)

CHYRON: The Obama Iraq Documentary

CHYRON: Where Does Barack Obama Stand On Iraq?

CHYRON: Said The Surge Would Make Things Worse

BARACK OBAMA (1/10/07): "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

· In January 2007, Barack Obama Said The Surge Would Actually Worsen Sectarian Violence In Iraq. Obama: "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse." (MSNBC's "Response To The President's Speech On Iraq," 1/10/07)

CHYRON: Said He Always Said The Surge Will Make Things Better

BARACK OBAMA (1/5/08): "And I said at the time, when I opposed the surge, that given how wonderfully our troops perform, if we place 30,000 more troops in there, then we would see an improvement in the security situation and we would see a reduction in the violence."

· In January 2008, Barack Obama Claimed That He Always Said That Increasing The Number Of Troops In Iraq Would Improve Security. Obama: "Now, I had no doubt -- and I said at the time, when I opposed the surge, that given how wonderfully our troops perform, if we place 30,000 more troops in there, then we would see an improvement in the security situation and we would see a reduction in the violence." (Sen. Barack Obama, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Manchester, NH, 1/5/08)

CHYRON: Translation: You're Never Wrong If You Pretend You Gave The Right Answer All Along

CHYRON: Predicted That The Surge Would Fail

BARACK OBAMA (10/22/06): "Given the deteriorating situation, it is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve."

· In October 2006, Barack Obama Said That We Cannot "Through Putting In More Troops Or Maintaining The Presence That We Have, Expect That Somehow The Situation Is Going To Improve." Obama: "Given the deteriorating situation, it is clear at this point that we cannot, through putting in more troops or maintaining the presence that we have, expect that somehow the situation is going to improve, and we have to do something significant to break the pattern that we've been in right now." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 10/22/06)

BARACK OBAMA (7/18/07): "My assessment is that the surge has not worked and we will not see a different report eight weeks from now."

· In July 2007, Barack Obama Said The Surge Had Not Worked In Iraq. Obama: "But we are facing a choice. My assessment is that the surge has not worked and we will not see a different report eight weeks from now." (NBC's "The Today Show," 7/18/07)

BARACK OBAMA (11/11/07): "Finally, in 2006-2007, we started to see that, even after an election, George Bush continued to want to pursue a course that didn't withdraw troops from Iraq but actually doubled them and initiated a surge and at that stage I said very clearly, not only have we not seen improvements, but we're actually worsening, potentially, a situation there."

· In November 2007, Barack Obama Said The Surge Has Not Worked, And Had Potentially Worsened The Situation In Iraq. Obama: "Finally, in 2006-2007, we started to see that, even after an election, George Bush continued to want to pursue a course that didn't withdraw troops from Iraq but actually doubled them and initiated a search and at that stage I said very clearly, not only have we not seen improvements, but we're actually worsening, potentially, a situation there." (NBC's "Meet The Press," 11/11/07)

CHYRON: Now Says It's Working

BARACK OBAMA (2/21/08): "I think it is indisputable that we've seen violence reduced in Iraq."

· In February 2008, Barack Obama Said That It Was "Indisputable" That Violence Had Been Reduced In Iraq. CNN's Campbell Brown: "Senator Obama, in the same vein, you were also opposed to the surge from the beginning. Were you wrong?" Obama: "Well, I think it is indisputable that we've seen violence reduced in Iraq. And that's a credit to our brave men and women in uniform." (Sen. Barack Obama, CNN/Univision Democrat Presidential Debate, Austin, TX, 2/21/08)

BARACK OBAMA (4/8/08): "I also think that the surge has reduced violence and provided breathing room."

· In April 2008, Barack Obama Said That The Surge Has Reduced Violence. Obama: "I also think that the surge has reduced violence and provided breathing room -- but that breathing room has not been taken the way we would all like it to be taken." (Sen. Barack Obama, Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hearing, 4/8/08)

BARACK OBAMA (7/2/08): "The extraordinary work that our troops have done. They have performed brilliantly throughout the process. And obviously, I am very pleased to see the reductions in violence that have occurred over the last several months. There's no doubt that because of their heroism and their outstanding work, we had the opportunity to salvage the situation in Iraq."

· In July 2008, Barack Obama Said That He Was Pleased With "Reductions In Violence." Obama: "Now, that does not detract from the extraordinary work that our troops have done. They have performed brilliantly throughout the process. And obviously, I am very pleased to see the reductions in violence that have occurred over the last several months. And there's no doubt that because of their heroism and their outstanding work, we had the opportunity to salvage the situation in Iraq." (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With Military Times, 7/2/08)

CHYRON: Translation: He Isn't Going To Let Facts Get In The Way Of His Position

CHYRON: For Immediate Withdrawal

BARACK OBAMA (9/12/07): "So let me be clear. There is no military solution in Iraq. There never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year, but now."

· In September 2007, Barack Obama Called For The U.S. To "Immediately Begin To Remove Our Combat Troops" From Iraq. Obama: "So let me be clear. There is no military solution in Iraq. There never was. The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq's leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year, but now." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Iraq, Clinton, IA, 9/12/07)

BARACK OBAMA (3/19/08): "In order to end this war responsibly, I will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. We can responsibly remove one to two combat brigades each month. If we start with the number of brigades we have in Iraq today, we can remove all of them in 16 months."

· In March 2008, Barack Obama Said He Would "Immediately Begin To Remove Our Troops From Iraq." "In order to end this war responsibly, I will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. We can responsibly remove on to two combat brigades each month. If we start with the number of brigades we have in Iraq today, we can remove all of them in 16 months." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Iraq, Fayetteville, NC, 3/19/08)

BARACK OBAMA (5/2/08): "When I promise that we are going to bring this war in Iraq to a close in 2009, I want the American people to understand that I opposed this war in 2002, 2003, '04, '05, '06 and '07, so you can have confidence that I will be serious about ending this war."

· In May 2008, Barack Obama Said "I Promise That We Are Going To Bring This War In Iraq To A Close In 2009." "When I promise that we are going to bring this war in Iraq to a close in 2009, I want the American people to understand that I opposed this war in 2002, 2003, '04, '05, '06 and '07, so you can have confidence that I will be serious about ending this war." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The North Carolina Democrat Party 2008 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Raleigh, NC, 5/2/08)

CHYRON: Against Immediate Withdrawal

ANCHOR (4/5/04): "You've said you thought troops should be withdrawn." BARACK OBAMA: "No. No, I've never said that troops should be withdrawn. What I've said is that we've got to make sure that we secure and execute the rebuilding and reconstruction process effectively and properly and I don't think we should have an artificial deadline when to do that."

· In April 2004, Barack Obama Opposed Withdrawal And Said We Should Not Have An "Artificial Deadline." Anchor: "But right now the U.S. is the one that's there. And you've said you thought troops should be withdrawn." Obama: "No. No, I've never said that troops should be withdrawn. What I've said is that we've got to make sure that we secure and execute the rebuilding and reconstruction process effectively and properly and I don't think we should have an artificial deadline when to do that." (WTTW11's "Chicago Tonight," 4/5/04)

BARACK OBAMA (6/21/06): "A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy."

· In June 2006, Barack Obama Said That "A Hard And Fast, Arbitrary Deadline For Withdrawal Offers Our Commanders In The Field, And Our Diplomats In The Region, Insufficient Flexibility To Implement That Strategy." Obama: "A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy." (Sen. Barack Obama, Congressional Record, 6/21/06, p. S6233)

CHYRON: Translation: Changes His Position To Fit the Election

CHYRON: Against Funding The Troops

BARACK OBAMA (11/16/03): "Just this week, when I was asked, would I have voted for the $87 billion, I said no. And I said no unequivocally, because, at a certain point, we have to say no to George Bush."

· In November 2003, Barack Obama Said He Would Have Voted Against $87 Billion For War Funding. Obama: "Just this week, when I was asked, would I have voted for the $87 billion, I said no. And I said no unequivocally, because, at a certain point, we have to say no to George Bush. If we keep on getting steamrolled, we are not going to stand a chance." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks To The New Trier Democratic Organization, 11/16/03)

CHYRON: For Funding The Troops

BARACK OBAMA (4/5/04): "What's important is what I don't want a situation in which we have 80 or 90,000 young American men and women who are over there in a situation where they do not have the resources sufficient to ensure their own protection. And what we have to do is make sure that we have enough troop strength. As long as we have troops there, we have to make sure we have enough troop strength to make sure we are safe and secure."

· In April 2004, Barack Obama Said He Wanted To Ensure That Troops Had The Resources They Needed For Their Protection. Obama: "What's important is what I don't want is a situation in which we have 80 or 90 thousand young American men and women who are over there in a situation where they do not have the resources sufficient to ensure their own protection. And what we have to do is make sure that we have enough troop strength. As long as we have troops there we have to make sure that we have enough troop strength to make sure that we are safe and secure." (WTTW11's "Chicago Tonight," 4/5/04)

BARACK OBAMA (1/10/07): "We've got to make sure that they have all the resources necessary to come home safely and to execute the missions that have been laid out for them."

· In January 2007, Barack Obama Said That Congress Needed To Make Sure That Troops In Iraq Had "All The Resources Necessary To Come Home Safely And To Execute The Missions That Have Been Laid Out For Them." Obama: "I think that we have to look at a variety of options where Congress can exercise its responsibilities. I know nobody in Congress, Republican or Democrat, who is going to in any way strand troops who are presently in Iraq. We've got to make sure that they have all the resources necessary to come home safely and to execute the missions that have been laid out for them." (MSNBC's "Reaction To The President's Speech On Iraq," 1/10/07)

CNN'S WOLF BLITZER (3/28/07): "Some ardent opponents of the war, like Dennis Kucinich, for example, who is a Democratic presidential candidate" BARACK OBAMA: "Right." BLITZER: "He takes a principled stand. He's not going to vote to fund troops going off to this war, because he believes that would help bring the troops home." OBAMA: "Right. You know, the problem is, is that you have got an obstinate administration that has shown itself unwilling to change, in the face of circumstances on the ground. And, in that situation, what you don't want to do is to play chicken to -- with the president, and create a situation in which, potentially, you don't have body armor; you don't have reinforced humvees; you don't have night-vision goggles."

· In March 2007, Barack Obama Said He Did Not Want To Leave The Soldiers In A Position Where They Were Not Equipped. Blitzer: "Because some ardent opponents of the war, like Dennis Kucinich, for example, who is a Democratic presidential candidate" Obama: "Right." Blitzer: "[H]e takes a principled stand. He's not going to vote to fund troops going off to this war, because he believes that would help bring the troops home." Obama: "Right. You know, the problem is, is that you have got an obstinate administration that has shown itself unwilling to change, in the face of circumstances on the ground. And, in that situation, what you don't want to do is to play chicken to -- with the president, and create a situation in which, potentially, you don't have body armor; you don't have reinforced humvees; you don't have night-vision goggles." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 3/28/07)

ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS (5/13/07): "You said then that you have to say 'no' to George Bush because we can't get steamrolled. Yet you go in the Senate, your critics say, and vote for the funding every single time." BARACK OBAMA: "Because at that point you've got hundreds of thousands of young men and women who have to carry out the mission on behalf of the American people."

· In May 2007, Barack Obama Told ABC's George Stephanopoulos That He Supported Funding To Give Troops The Equipment They Need. Stephanopoulos: "[Y]ou said then that you have to say 'no' to George Bush because we can't get steamrolled. Yet you go in the Senate, your critics say, and vote for the funding every single time." Obama: "Because at that point you've got hundreds of thousands of young men and women who have to carry out the mission on behalf of the American people. It's not their fault that our civilian leadership made bad decisions and what I wanted to make sure of was that they had night vision goggles that they needed, the Humvees that they needed and I also felt and I've continued to feel this way that if we could create some semblance of stability and success in Iraq, that would be a good thing." (ABC's "This Week," 5/13/07)

CHYRON: Against Funding The Troops -- Again

BARACK OBAMA (6/19/07): "Now, I introduced a plan in January that would have already started bringing our troops home by now, with the goal of bringing all combat brigades home by March 31st, 2008. Now we know the president vetoed a bipartisan plan just like that one a few weeks ago. And I'm proud I voted against giving a blank check."

· In June 2007, At The Take Back America Conference, Barack Obama Said He Was "Proud" Of His Vote Against The Iraq Funding Bill. Obama: "Now, I introduced a plan in January that would have already started bringing our troops home by now, with the goal of bringing all combat brigades home by March 31st, 2008. Now we know the president vetoed a bipartisan plan just like that one a few weeks ago. And I'm proud I voted against giving a blank check to the man who said he sees keeping us -- keeping our troops in Iraq for as long as we have kept them in Korea. But we can't give George Bush the last word here. We are 16 votes away in the Senate from ending this war, a comparable number in the House. We need to keep turning up the pressure on all those Republican congressmen and senators who refuse to acknowledge the reality that the American people know so well. We will call them; we will knock on their doors. We will bring our troops home. It is time to bring this war to a close. It is time to recognize there is no military solution to the problems in Iraq. It is time to turn the page." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The 2007 Take Back America Conference, Washington, DC, 6/19/07)

CHYRON: Translation: Only in Barack Obama's Mind Is Voting Against Troops A Virtue

CHYRON: Says He Will Put A Strike Force In Iraq

BARACK OBAMA (3/19/08): "After this redeployment, we will leave enough troops in Iraq to guard our embassy and our diplomats, and a counter-terrorism force to strike al Qaeda."

· In March 2008, Barack Obama Said He Would "Immediately Begin To Remove Our Troops From Iraq." "After this redeployment, we will leave enough troops in Iraq to guard our embassy and our diplomats, and a counter-terrorism force to strike al Qaeda if it forms a base that the Iraqis cannot destroy." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Iraq, Fayetteville, NC, 3/19/08)

CHYRON: Says He Won't Put A Strike Force In Iraq

REPORTER (3/31/08): "You've said you'd leave a small force there to deal with terrorist attacks. How long would you leave them there? And what's your criteria for pulling them out?" BARACK OBAMA: "Well, no, no, that's not what I've said. What I've said is that we will have troops looking after our embassy there, which we do everywhere. We do it in France. We do it in Great Britain. We have some military personnel that ensure that our diplomatic forces are taken care of."

· In March 2008, Barack Obama Claimed That He Would Keep A Strike Force In Iraq "Looking After Our Embassy There." Reporter: "You've said you'd leave a small force there to deal with terrorist attacks. How long would you leave them there? And what's your criteria for pulling them out? Obama: "Well, no, no, that's not what I've said. What I've said is that we will have troops looking after our embassy there, which we do everywhere. We do it in France. We do it in Great Britain. We have some military personnel that ensure that our diplomatic forces are taken care of." (Sen. Barack Obama, Press Conference, 3/31/08)

CHYRON: Translation: How To Keep Troops In Iraq And Still Sound Like You Want A Withdrawal

CHYRON: So What Is Barack Obama's Position On Iraq?

BARACK OBAMA (6/5/08): "Well, you know, I never say there's nothing or never or no way in which I'd change my mind."

· In June 2008, Barack Obama Told CNN's Candy Crowley "I Never Say There's Nothing Or Never Or No Way In Which I'd Change My Mind." Crowley: "You have said you want to go back to Iraq." Obama: "Yeah." Crowley: "See what the situation is on the ground. Is there nothing that they could show you or that General Petraeus could tell you that would move you from wanting to immediately begin removing U.S. troops?" Obama: "Well, you know, I never say there's nothing or never or no way in which I'd change my mind. Obviously, I'm open to the facts and to reason. And there's no doubt that we've seen significant improvements in security on the ground in Iraq." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 6/5/08)

CHYRON: Translation: Barack Obama's Position: Whatever the Politics Demand