John Edwards on Iraq: “It was a mistake.”

4:11 pm EST November 10th, 2005 | Democrats | 10 Comments

In The Nation

In an interview after the UNC speech, Edwards finally utters the words he’d assiduously avoided during the last campaign: “I voted for the resolution,” he says. “It was a mistake.” So far, so good. But he goes on, “The hard question is, What do you do now? Looking back, it’s easy to say that it was wrong and based on false information. Anybody who doesn’t admit that isn’t honest, and that’s the truth.” So what now? “I myself feel conflicted about it,” Edwards replies. “But we have to find ways–and I don’t mean just yanking all the troops tomorrow–but we have to find ways to start bringing our troops home. Our presence there is clearly contributing to the problem.” So does he agree with Senator Russ Feingold that Washington should set a withdrawal deadline? “No. Even if we’re going to say that internally, that we’re gonna have our troops out by X date, there’s no reason to announce that to the world. I think that’s probably a mistake.” He doesn’t agree, either, with Senator Clinton’s call for more US troops to finish the job? “No sir!” Edwards says, sitting straight up in his chair. “Did she really say that?”

Yeah, she did.

Related Posts

  • No Related Post
«
»

10 Responses to “John Edwards on Iraq: “It was a mistake.””

  1. Semanticleo says:
    November 10, 2005 at 7:11 pm

    Although at one time considering a run for the WH, this distinguished Senator has a warped sense of priorities and it is unlikely he has a chance at becoming a dog catcher. Witness the Senator who feels the leaks about the ‘black sites’ is worse than the sites themselves. Perhaps he is looking at job opportunities as Dr. ‘Mengele’ Frist where he can use his medical training where it best suits his character.

    http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/11/10/frist.secretprisons.ap/index.html

  2. The Concordian says:
    November 10, 2005 at 10:11 pm

    Um, the post is about Edwards. What the heck does Frist have to do with it?

  3. dugger1 says:
    November 11, 2005 at 7:11 am

    Thus Senator Edwards, playing the Romney card, cements Hilary and Warner as the front runners. Edwards has shown he has no depth, no gravitas and will pander to the extremist, money-bag fringe of the party. No doubt Barbra Streisand approves.

    Dugger, “Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.”

  4. Semanticleo says:
    November 11, 2005 at 9:11 am

    The bitter dugger

  5. cybishop says:
    November 11, 2005 at 9:11 am

    Dugger has no comment at all on what Edwards says about how the war started or his stated policy positions (but based on experience, if he did comment on that it would be at least half incorrect or irrelevant), he just offers pointless personal attacks on Edwards and people who have nothing in common with him but income level and rough political alignment, and echoes completely irrational phobias about other politicians.

    I know it’s immoral and incorrect to think of Dugger as representative of all conservatives and Republicans, but sometimes it’s hard not to.

    I suppose he might be a parody, though. We can hope.

  6. Dugger says:
    November 11, 2005 at 10:11 am

    Cybis,

    Been cutting reading comprehension class? The lead on the Edwards post is how he confesses to being wrong on his vote. I make a clever and somewhat appropriate analogy to another past politician who claims he was misled (brainwashed) and wrong on a war and it ruined his political career. If you were really up on things, you would have known my comment was about Edwards and his confession of ignorance. Your problem is that nobody seems capable of good judgment on foreign policy in the Democratic party – Rockefeller, Edwards. And if Edwards was so grossly wrong on the war, who’s to say he’s not equally grossly wrong now. The war is very serious. Can we trust a guy who is already on record as having made a horrendous mistake?

    Dugger, No, Look Under Edwards and You’ll Find a Crumb Tray

  7. Damek says:
    November 11, 2005 at 10:11 am

    Yes, because not admitting mistakes must mean you’re correct all the time.

  8. Dugger says:
    November 11, 2005 at 3:11 pm

    “Yes, because not admitting mistakes must mean you re correct all the time.”

    Admitting a mistake on something as huge as a war vote, should not be dismissed lightly. I wonder if his conscience botthers him? Are you curious as to why Edwards confesses this at this time and not before the election. Am I too cynical, here?

    Dugger

  9. Dugger says:
    November 11, 2005 at 5:11 pm

    I don’t know. But if a Republican voted for the war and is now against it (I believe there is at least one – NC? – who has changed his mind), I’d say the buck stops with him and he is accountable for his vote – not Bush, Kerry or anybody else. I would also say he exercised poor judgment. The difference is Edwards is or was a serious candidate for President and we would look at his foreign policy judgment more carefully. Also this post was about Edwards and his vote.

    I may be wrong, but I believ othr, maybe more thoughtful Democrats have argued, not that it was necessarily a mistake or that the vote was wrong, but that now, per current circumstances, its time to wrap it up.

    Dugger

  10. Semanticleo says:
    November 11, 2005 at 5:11 pm

    Dugger;

    “Can we trust a guy who is already on record as having made a horrendous mistake?”

    Dugger;

    Since you have gone on the record as being conflicted about this war, I wonder what Republicans or Independents who either, A) voted for the war and now feel it was a mistake, or B) voted against the war,would now be possible candidates for your vote?