Democratic Primaries

Autumn

(44,980 posts) Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:37 PM Sep 2019

Joe Biden says he opposed the Iraq War soon after it started. A check of his record shows otherwise

Biden 'loose with facts' on the campaign trail

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/politics/joe-biden-iraq-war-kfile/index.html

Of the 20 Democrats still running for president in 2020, only two -- Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders -- were in a position to vote on authorizing President George W. Bush to go to war in Iraq back in 2002.

Sanders, then in the House, voted no. Biden, then chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voted in favor -- and like other Democrats who voted yes, has spent the years since apologizing for it as the conflict became increasingly unpopular with the American public and Democratic voters.

Biden, the Democratic front-runner, now faces opponents who do not have a voting record on Iraq and a Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, who too initially supported the Iraq war before turning against it, and then increasingly criticized Republican Party orthodoxy about American intervention abroad during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The Iraq issue dogged John Kerry in 2004 and Hillary Clinton in 2008, when it contributed to Barack Obama's meteoric rise, and again in 2016, when Sanders and Trump used it as a cudgel against her. Biden, who also ran in 2008, made the same claims that he's making today: He changed his mind about the invasion as soon as it happened.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

22 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Joe Biden says he opposed the Iraq War soon after it started. A check of his record shows otherwise (Original Post) Autumn Sep 2019 OP

Not good melman Sep 2019 #1

Not relevant. The Velveteen Ocelot Sep 2019 #2

as relevant as his misleading statements on his support for that invasion and occupation yesterday bigtree Sep 2019 #17

You are the picture of consistency! True Dough Sep 2019 #3

Indeed. George II Sep 2019 #8

Disqualifying. Hassin Bin Sober Sep 2019 #18

+1 myohmy2 Sep 2019 #4

Some people can just be trusted to do the right thing. Autumn Sep 2019 #5

Interesting, unless I missed it (which is possible) I don't think Tom Steyer has weighed in.... George II Sep 2019 #9

How is that relevant? If he was for it then, I doubt he is now. He didn't vote for it. Biden did. Autumn Sep 2019 #10

Well I see someone bashing Joe Biden for his position on the Iraq War instead of talking about... George II Sep 2019 #11

Whataboutism George? I know how much you hate that. Autumn Sep 2019 #19

Cute, but off base. Again, have you read the AUMF? George II Sep 2019 #20

How many times did he vote to FUND that war? George II Sep 2019 #7

Should he have not funded our troops that Bush sent to fight wars those wars? Autumn Sep 2019 #12

He voted many times to fund that war. George II Sep 2019 #14

Yes he did, he was right to do so. What he didn't do was vote for that war. Autumn Sep 2019 #15

Have you ever read the AUMF? George II Sep 2019 #16

Impressive. Three OPs on this same subject in a mere 120 minutes! George II Sep 2019 #6

Obvious. nt TexasTowelie Sep 2019 #21

They're afraid of Biden... and it shows. NurseJackie Sep 2019 #22

This is certainly not a positive. Joe941 Sep 2019 #13

melman

(7,681 posts)

1. Not good

Reply to Autumn (Original post)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:37 PM

Sep 2019

Not good at all.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,587 posts)

2. Not relevant.

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:39 PM

Sep 2019

Not relevant at all.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

bigtree

(85,975 posts)

17. as relevant as his misleading statements on his support for that invasion and occupation yesterday

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #2)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:26 PM

Sep 2019

...which is going to get a response from people who fought that war crime from the beginning.

this article is accurate:

Biden Says He Opposed Iraq War Effort 'Immediately,' Despite Multiple Public Remarks Supporting It
https://www.newsweek.com/biden-iraq-war-2002-vote-2020-race-1457498

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

True Dough

(17,246 posts)

3. You are the picture of consistency!

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:40 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

George II

(67,782 posts)

8. Indeed.

Reply to True Dough (Reply #3)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:59 PM

Sep 2019

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=265049
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=265115
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=265172

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,311 posts)

18. Disqualifying.

Reply to melman (Reply #1)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:28 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

myohmy2

(3,139 posts)

4. +1

Reply to Autumn (Original post)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:43 PM

Sep 2019

"Sanders, then in the House, voted no. Biden, then chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, voted in favor"

...you can't get much clearer than that...

https://berniesanders.com/issues/

...

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Autumn

(44,980 posts)

5. Some people can just be trusted to do the right thing.

Reply to myohmy2 (Reply #4)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:48 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

George II

(67,782 posts)

9. Interesting, unless I missed it (which is possible) I don't think Tom Steyer has weighed in....

Reply to Autumn (Reply #5)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:04 PM

Sep 2019

...on how he felt about the Iraq War.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Autumn

(44,980 posts)

10. How is that relevant? If he was for it then, I doubt he is now. He didn't vote for it. Biden did.

Reply to George II (Reply #9)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:08 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

George II

(67,782 posts)

11. Well I see someone bashing Joe Biden for his position on the Iraq War instead of talking about...

Reply to Autumn (Reply #10)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:12 PM

Sep 2019

....Tom Steyer's position on the Iraq War.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Autumn

(44,980 posts)

19. Whataboutism George? I know how much you hate that.

Reply to George II (Reply #11)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:33 PM

Sep 2019

This OP and this thread are about Bidens "story" on his Iraq war vote. Not Bernie, not Tom's.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

George II

(67,782 posts)

20. Cute, but off base. Again, have you read the AUMF?

Reply to Autumn (Reply #19)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:40 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

George II

(67,782 posts)

7. How many times did he vote to FUND that war?

Reply to myohmy2 (Reply #4)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 08:49 PM

Sep 2019

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Autumn

(44,980 posts)

12. Should he have not funded our troops that Bush sent to fight wars those wars?

Reply to George II (Reply #7)

Wed Sep 4, 2019, 09:13 PM

Sep 2019

The wars could have been stopped at any time. The presidents since Bush have both kept them going. When a president sends troops into harm's way a decent politician will vote to make sure they have what they need. Even one who voted against going to war, as Bernie did in the first place.