Obama Changes his Plan for Change

Barack Obama needs to learn this: When he talks, people listen.

He can't weasel his way out of what he has said, on the record. He is accountable for his words.

We know what he has said and what he hasn't said.

He looks like an utter fool when he attempts to alter facts.

Being the candidate of change doesn't mean Obama can change his past statements.

Yesterday, Obama looked like an utter fool.

On July 23, 2007 during the YouTube Debate, Obama made clear that he would meet, without precondition, with leaders like Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

QUESTION: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?"

OBAMA: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous."

Watch.



Yesterday, on July 23, 2008, Obama disowned his words of a year ago. He charged Questioner Dan with misunderstanding his statement. Dan didn't pick up on the part when Obama distinguished between "preconditions" and "preparation."

QUESTIONER: "A year ago in South Carolina you said you would meet, in your first year as president, with President Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Is there anything you have heard today here in discussions with Israeli leaders that has made you rethink that pledge or are you still standing by that?"

OBAMA: "Dan, I think you have to take a look at what the question was in South Carolina and how I responded. The question is would I meet with leaders without preconditions in pursuit ... But I think what I said in response was that I would, at my time and choosing, be willing to meet with any leader if I thought it would promote the national security interests of the United States of America. And that continues to be my position, that if I think that I can get a deal that is going to advance our cause, then I would consider that opportunity. But what I also said was that there is a difference between meeting without preconditions and meeting without preparation."

(Barack Obama, Press Conference, Sderot, Israel, 7/23/08)

I could understand Obama wanting to clarify what he supposedly also said. The problem: He didn't say what he now claims he did.

What Obama is trying to do is deny his own words. He's distancing himself from his answer of a year ago by creating a new one, as if we're supposed to accept it as the real deal.

Uh, no. It doesn't work that way.

He finds his 2007 answer unacceptable now so he tries to cut it loose. He can't have his naïve foreign policy stance of a year ago hanging around and dragging him down.

This time, Obama threw himself under the bus.