I went to hear him. He had a lot to say about what he'll do once he's elected President.

But he's already a Senator. Member of the majority party in both houses of Congress. Why didn't he talk about what he can do RIGHT NOW? Why's he gotta wait until he's President?

And why can't he talk about getting our sons and daughters out of the meat grinder in Iraq and Afghanistan? Like, now? Poll after poll tells me that I'm not alone in thinking Iraq is the one big issue on American minds. Second biggest issue is delivering some accountability to the White House. Why does Senator Obama need to wait until January 20, 2009 for anything to change?

Bill Richardson is more qualified, has more experience, and has more conviction. Obama is full of doublespeak just like Clinton.

Obama or Clinton will lose the election for the democrats.

Evidently you chaps didn't read the penultimate sentence.

Huh? I wasn't reacting to what you posted, or whether or not you thought he was worth voting for. I was reacting to what I saw when I went to hear Sen. Obama in person, with my own two eyes.

Oh, the irony!

Um, maybe the reason why Senator Obama can't stop the war right now is cuz he's not the president yet.

Seriously, WTF?

Hey, Moose, last I checked, Congress was a co-equal branch of government, and held the power of the purse, and the ability to declare war, and presumably the power to end it.

Of course, all that changed, I guess, when the Supreme Court selected our new king. How silly of me to forget. So if I understand the new paradigm, we have to pick a new king to replace the old one before any changes can be made? Is that how you mean your comment, Moose?

Nobody in their right minds can blame Obama for not stopping the war nor the funding issue. DC is a mess right now. Politics are not the issue anymore, it is sides. Like picking teams for basketball as a kid. Unfortunately, the Republicans are winning the voting on Iraq issues.

If you read all three of the Democratic candidates websites (look under 'issues'), Obama has by far the most info and goes into the most depth. That speaks volumes to me. The guy is sharp, has that charisma and could be the man to envelope the bickering and childish side taking. Hillary will only make it worse, Edwards is hardly what I'd consider Presidential tough.

Yeah, well, it should be obvious, but Obama is not Congress. He's one vote.

BlameMeHimYou: I'm not blaming Obama for not single-handedly stopping the war.

I'm blaming him for not using the 24/7 media circus that follows any top-tier candidate for POTUS, for not using the huge rock-star like following he's gathered, for not channelling all of that status into one voice that speaks to the one issue that unites America outside the Beltway, and an issue that appears to be important to people who identify as Democrats AND Republicans: Getting the U.S. out of Iraq.

Yes, Senator Obama is "only" one vote. Yes, he's not "all of Congress". But he's popular, and he's got reporters and regular Americans following his every word.

Leadership is more than simply voting the "right" way when the time comes. Even within the duties of his office, he can go beyond just voting on the bills presented to him; he can write and submit legislation, and (more importantly) he can use his media megaphone and his speeches to direct other people's attention and put public pressure on those who oppose him. That, my friends, is politics.

My disappointment is that Senator Obama is not bringing to bear any leadership towards the one issue that unites Americans (see above).

But I have a feeling that you and "Moose" just aren't going to see it that way. More's the pity, but I guess y'all can just wait for the "Good King" to fix what's wrong. In the meantime, men and women continue to be killed and wounded. How many more by 20 January 2009?

I'm voting for Elizabeth Edwards.

BrianM- I was aggruing the same point just last night with an Obama supporter. He said he has introduced legislation to remove the troops. Turns out he is right:

"...during the first month of the 110th Congress, Obama introduced the "Iraq War De-Escalation Act," a bill proposing to cap troop levels in Iraq, begin phased redeployment, and remove all combat brigades from Iraq before April 2008."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_De-Escalation_Act

MIKE GRAVEL IN '08!!!!