Posted on 07/05/2010 10:26:01 AM PDT by kristinn
Vice President Joe Biden had surprising words of praise for former President George W. Bush today in Iraq.
Biden usually speaks contemptuously of Bush or steals credit for Bush's accomplishment in Iraq and claims it for Barack Obama.
Speaking in Baghdad with Mike Allen of Politico, Biden's compliment was spare, but a huge change from his usual verbal shoes hurled at Bush:
“I think America wins,” Biden told POLITICO in an end-of-trip interview at the ambassador’s residence in the sprawling U.S. embassy complex. “I sound corny, but I think America gets credit here in the region. And I think everybody gets credit, from George Bush to [President Obama].
“I think Americans will recognize that there aren’t body counts . . .that they got 95,000 people home. That will be noticeable that they’re home."
Biden also raised the idea that Obama is playing politics with the troop drawdown in Iraq by telling Politico it would benefit the Democrats in the November House and Senate elections:
Biden said improved conditions in Iraq will bolster Democrats with voters in November.
“They are going to take a look and see that the president kept his promise getting troops home, which will give them more confidence in the foreign policy he set,” Biden said.
Last February, Biden bragged on CNN's Larry King Live that Iraq "could be one of the great achievements of this administration."
Shock: Biden Praises Bush on Iraq
Must be an election year.
President Bush worked hard to ensure that neither Obama nor McCain could screw up Iraq after he left office.
Army cook slips sodium pentathol in Biden’s chow.
More truth at 11!
However, I do remember a few months back Obama said he did talk to Pres. Bush...not necessarily about the war. But I don't think Obama would have made that incredibly quick transition to Petraeus w/o Bush's help.
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