Reply #15: The funding issue is somewhat bogus

[karynnj]

Even Ted Kennedy voted for the funding. The Clintons' statements that conflate voting for funding with "supporting the war" are patently disengenuous. I hope that Ted Kennedy slacks that down as often as possible. He is unassailable on Iraq with the left. He was against it, voted against the IWR, gave amazing speeches against it over the last 5 years, voted for Kerry/Feingold AND did not vote against the funding.

The Clintons are guilty of the same Rovian slight of hand the Republicans, aided by some on the left, succeeded with in conflating the "IWR" and decision to go to war. (I was happy that obama added the word "potentially" when he spoke of the IWR). Edwards pushed this issue either out of frustration that the President really does hold almost all the cards on how the war goes or to establish himself as anti-war.

Voting to defund the war would likely hurt not help in the general election - as it will be said to leave the troops without things they need.