And he is right. I think John Edwards and Hillary Clinton are great Democrats but the one thing I did agree with Mike Gravel last night is when he said that those who did vote and or co-sponsor the IWR should not be President. They did fail morally in the most important votes of their lives. Saying sorry, your wrong, or it's a mistake won't bring back our dead and wounded troops.
"I opposed this war from the start."
"You're about four and a half years late on leadership on this issue," Obama said "And, you know, I think it's important not to play politics on something that is as critical and as difficult as this."
The fact is Barack Obama did oppose this war from the start. Yes he didn't have a vote in Congress or access to the intelligence. But neither did we, we all knew that it was a mistake.
Our leaders in Washington failed us then, in many ways they are still failing us now. But Joe Biden was also right on this point:
But Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware, said opponents of the war need to realize Democrats do not have the 67 votes needed to override a veto and force an end to the war.
"As long as there is a single troop in Iraq that I know if I take action by funding them, I increase the prospect they will live or not be injured, I cannot and will not vote no to fund them," said Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
We don't have the votes to override a veto.
And we don't. No matter how we agree or disagree on the war, on the candidates, on the message. WE DON'T HAVE THE VOTES TO END THE WAR.
Yes, like Dennis Kuchinch said we could just not give him any bill. Then what does that do? It means that the Democratic controlled Congress effectively stopped funding our troops in harms way.
Most of this country wants us out of Iraq, but they also don't want the Congress to cut off funding.
Hillary Clinton said one thing last night that stuck out to me. She said that we as a nation cannot do anything without political will.
We do have political will to end this war, we don't have the political will to cut off the funding.
In a democracy we call it compromise. I don't like it, and I am sure as hell I am not the only one who feels the same way but that's the way a democratic process works.
Last night should leave no room for doubt that Iraq and Foreign Policy will dominate this election in 2008.
I still say that I will heed the advice of one of our hero's on Daily Kos, Russ Feingold when he said he preferred to support someone who didn't vote for the war, but if that isn't available Gore or Obama would be great.
They would. I will support Obama until I hear what Gore is doing.
Our President must have the moral judgment to lead this nation forward, and those who had the foresight and had the COURAGE to speak up when it was politically unpopular is the leadership we need right now.
They are all great Democrats, but Al Gore, Barack Obama, Russ Feingold, Wes Clark, Tony Zinni, and Jim Webb have earned my trust.