Obama faces criticism
In his dramatic announcement last week that his presidential campaign is officially launched, Sen. Barack Obama promised he would start defining his position on the issues soon. He has, and it’s drawing criticism he’s unused to.
JOHN Howard weathered a storm of protest from both sides of the Pacific yesterday as his attack on US presidential contender Barack Obama triggered accusations he had endangered the US alliance.
However, in Australia the outrage over the Prime Minister’s criticism of the Iraq policies of the US Democratic Party and Senator Obama shifted election-year debate away from climate change and back to the Coalition’s strength of national security.
What did Australian Prime Minister John Howard say?
If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq I would put a circle around March 2008 and pray as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats,” Mr Howard said on the Nine Network’s Sunday, referring to Senator Obama’s plan to pull US troops out of Iraq by March next year.
Looks like Obama is finally getting tried and tested.
But Senator Obama, who suggested the March timeline for withdrawing US troops as he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Saturday, accused Mr Howard of “empty rhetoric”.
In a pointed reference to Australia’s modest contingent of 1400 troops in Iraq and around the Persian Gulf, the Democratic star said: “So, if he’s ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq.”
Politics are now global, especially when it comes to this war. When the candidates here take a position, leaders around the world are ready to challenge them.
A defiant Mr Howard refused yesterday to back away from his hardline criticism, despite concerns the remarks could damage Australia’s alliance with the US.
“If I hear a policy being advocated that is contrary to Australia’s security interests I will criticise it,” he told parliament as Labor moved to censure the Prime Minister.
Seeking to clarify his earlier remarks, Mr Howard said he was not speaking “generically” about the Democrats but was focused on Senator Obama, who is seeking his party’s presidential nomination. “I don’t apologise for criticising Senator Obama’s observation because I thought what he said was wrong,” he said, accusing the Labor leader of “double standards”.
Good to hear a member of government — anywhere — calling for honesty and consistency in political debate.
“Apparently it is in order for any number of people in the Labor Party to regularly attack George Bush, to regularly attack the American administration,” Mr Howard said. “That is OK, but dare anybody criticise somebody who might agree with them on Iraq and then somehow or other I am interfering in the domestic politics of the United States.”
Mr. Howard could serve well in the media if he lost his position in government. Because very few people with any authority or power are calling for truth and reason.
