I understand that Hillary Clinton intends to leave troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future. I heard Bill Richardson tonight saying he would withdraw all troops. I know Dennis Kucinich favors full withdrawal.

Can someone please summarize, preferably with linked references, what, if anything, Barack Obama, John Edwards and other candidates have said publicly regarding their intent to withdraw troops (combat and otherwise)completely and not retain any permanent US bases in Iraq?

Thanks.

HomeDiariesBreaking BlueE-Wire 2008What Really Makes A Democrat Electable in 2008: Total Withdrawal From Iraq
by Chris Bowers, Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 08:00:32 PM EST

Taegan Goddard reminds us of this jewel from the managers of McCain, Romney, and Giuliani's campaigns:
The campaign advisers of three Republican presidential nominee hopefuls agreed yesterday at the Institute of Politics that the war in Iraq would be one of the defining issues of the presidential campaign.

The three men--senior campaign advisers for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and Mitt Romney--also discussed some of the issues surrounding their candidates in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum.

"The idea that somehow people can go out and win the Republican nomination by talking about other issues and... not making [the Iraq war] the central theme of this debate is naive," said Rick Davis, CEO and senior adviser for the McCain campaign.

"You're either there fighting to win or you get out, and you don't really try to have it both ways," he added.

Chris Henick, Giuliani's senior adviser, agreed that security and leadership were important factors in the race.

"America has got to remain a leader in the world, a force for peace and security," Henick said. "Who's going to lead a stronger country in the future?"

While the advisers agreed on Iraq, moderator Mark Halperin '87, the political director of ABC News, pushed them to discuss other issues.
That's cute that Halperin was the moderator of the forum. Goddard adds:
When the managers of the Republican presidential campaigns gathered at Harvard earlier this month, they agreed that the Iraq war would be the defining issue in 2008 -- see The Crimson's coverage -- and that the Republican party's base would not accept a candidate who did not at least agree with the administration's policy goals. A viable GOP candidate could criticize the management of the war, but not the need for the war.
Every leading contender for the 2008 Republican nomination intends to make supporting a continuing war in Iraq the centerpiece of their campaign. Strange that they somehow forgot running in favor of the war resulted in Republicans being crushed in 2006. I can only imagine how popular that position will be eighteen months from now. I'd say that this made me extremely confident about the 2008 elections, but we are dealing with a Democratic establishment that, in many cases, either does not believe Iraq will still be a central political issue in 2008, or that wants to continue the military mission in Iraq themselves. This means that while the 2008 presidential election should be an easy slam dunk for Democrats, we could yet blow it.

John McCain's once virtually spotless national image took a serious tumble last fall, when he vociferously argued in favor of escalation in Iraq. The same thing could easily happen to Rudy Giuliani, since he holds exactly the same positions as John McCain. And Mitt Romney? Good luck ever having a positive national image, if you come out hard in favor of endless war now. The fact is, that unless Democrats in Congress somehow manage to end the war before the 2008 election, Iraq will remain the central political issue in America. Further, the long it drags on, the less popular the war becomes. In order to win the 2008 election, every Democratic contender does not need to do much more than pledge to withdraw all troops--including "trainers"--from Iraq within six months of taking office. Who is willing to do that? Who has done that? The only candidates who can truly consider themselves "electable" are candidates who can answer "I have" to both of those questions.

Tags: Iraq, Republicans, President 2008, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, electability, Democrats (all tags)

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I understand that Hillary Clinton intends to leave troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future. I heard Bill Richardson tonight saying he would withdraw all troops. I know Dennis Kucinich favors full withdrawal.

Can someone please summarize, preferably with linked references, what, if anything, Barack Obama, John Edwards and other candidates have said publicly regarding their intent to withdraw troops (combat and otherwise)completely and not retain any permanent US bases in Iraq?

Thanks.

Total withdrawal.

Sorry.  Unrealistic, and naive!

I can't wait for Obama and Edwards to stake out that electoral territory!!!  That's the day we declare the Primary ovah!!!!!!!

What truly amazes me is how most Republican politicians are simply unable to see the trap they have fallen into by continuing to support the increasingly futile war in Iraq. Are they merely committing hara-kiri by burying themselves in the hot desert sand, from which they will never find a way to escape before the next election? Or do they believe, like McCain and Lieberman, that the war will ultimately turn for the better, and somehow rescue them from having made a bad judgement call. More likely, they will continue to act like heedless lemmings and follow their leaders till they plunge headlong into the chasm.  

"The only candidates who can truly consider themselves "electable" are candidates who can answer "I have" to both of those questions."

How can you make a point-blank statement like that?  We already have top-tier, electable candidates who would not answer "I have" to both of those questions.  Also, check the polls that continually ask Iraq related questions.  These polls do no support your assertions.

But you have made an excellent argument in support of Dennis Kucinich for President. Good luck with that.

Barack Obama has stated he would leave troops in Iraq if he becomes President.  But I have yet to hear ONE Dem candidate say he or she would set up "permanent" bases in Iraq.

You know, when bloggers start dealing in the truth instead of fantasy ... oh never mind.  It isn't going to happen.

...Iraq.

I don't support the Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama concept of withdrawing troops EXCEPT for troops there for protection or fighting terrorists or training.

All the troops there now could be described that way.