The Political Chase

Hardball plays dumb ball

Tonight on Hardball, Chris Matthews grossly misrepresented the Democratic candidates stated positions on Iraq in the debate last night. Matthews accused the top three candidates — Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton — of disenchanting the Democratic anti-war base by declaring they would “keep American troops in Iraq all the way through 2013. That will make it a ten year war.”

That is not what Obama, Edwards, or Clinton, said or implied. Last night, moderator Tim Russert, asked each candidate the hypothetical, “Will you pledge, that by January 2013, the end of your first term, five years from now, there will be no U.S. troops in Iraq?” While each candidate had a different response, the consensus was they wanted the war in Iraq, as defined today, to end and to bring the troops home.

The candidates would not “pledge” to have zero troops in Iraq, because (1) they had no idea what they would inherit from George Bush, (2) no one can possibly make an accurate prediction of what events may occur in the Middle East or elsewhere that would require combat troops in Iraq, and (3) if there is a U.S. civilian presence (e.g. U.S. Embassy, humanitarian workers, etc.) they would likely need some level of protection from the military.

Matthews twisted their very logical and appropriate responses into an implied continuation of the war at a level comparable to today’s military operations in Iraq. What did he want them to do, lie? No one can make a promise of zero troops in Iraq, or anywhere else, on January 20, 2013.

I have not included the full answer from each candidate, but this is what each candidate said in their initial response.

Barack Obama:  “I think it’s very hard to project four years from now, and I think it would be irresponsible. We don’t know what contingency will be out there.”

Hillary Clinton: “Well, Tim, it is my goal to have all troops out by the end of my first term. But, I agree with Barack. It is very difficult to determine what we’re going to be inheriting. You know, we don’t know, walking into the White House in January 2009, what we’re going to find. What is the state of planning for withdrawal.”

John Edwards:  “I cannot make that commitment. I - well, I can tell you what I would do as president…I will immediately draw down 40,000 to 50,000 troops, and, over the course of the next several months, continue to bring out combat troops out of Iraq, until all of our troops are in fact out of Iraq.”

I suppose Matthews wanted to hear some screwball answer like Bill Richardson gave. Richardson said he would withdraw all troops immediately and send in Muslim peace-keeping troops.

So, if you did not watch the debate last night and captured Matthews irresponsible and reckless attempt to start a fight between the guests on his panel, don’t believe the crap he was trying to sell.