John Howard Does Not Have Obamamania

Add Australian Prime Minister John Howard to the list of those who do not suffer from Obamamania. Howard had some pointed comments about Barack Obama's plans for Iraq:

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has attacked a plan by US presidential candidate Barack Obama to withdraw troops from Iraq, saying it would lead to destabilisation around the world.

Howard, a staunch ally of US President George W. Bush who has deployed troops to assist US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, was commenting after the Democratic senator launched his bid for the White House in 2008.

Obama, who is aiming to become the first black American president, has already introduced a bill to withdraw US troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008 and has pledged to withdraw US forces from the country if elected.

Speaking on commercial television, conservative leader Howard said Obama's pledges on Iraq would only give hope to insurgents operating in the war-ravaged country.

"I think he's wrong. I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory," Howard said.

"If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

Gateway Pundit, who pointed me toward the passage above, also did a little deconstructing of some of Obama's speech, and including information which refutes Obama's most aggregious claims:

• For the last six years we've been told that our mounting debts don't matter, (It's actually on its way down, Barak)
• We've been told that the anxiety Americans feel about rising health care costs and stagnant wages are an illusion (wages are increasing),
• We've been told that climate change is a hoax (it may not be a hoax but whether it is caused by man or not is still under debate),
• And that tough talk and an ill-conceived war can replace diplomacy (Ill-conceived?), and strategy, and foresight.
• And when all else fails, when Katrina happens, or the death toll in Iraq mounts, we've been told that our crises are somebody else's fault (Bush took blame for Katrina flaws).
• We're distracted from our real failures, and told to blame the other party, or gay people (Who blamed gay people?), or immigrants.

It's wildly ironic to me that Obama chose the home of Abraham Lincoln to give his campaign announcement speech. With the possible exception of big ears, Obama bears no resemblance to Lincoln whatsoever, either in word or deed. Lincoln stood tough in the face of defeat after defeat in the Civil War, and fought against Democrats who wanted to end the war at any cost, even if it meant losing the Union. Lincoln "stayed the course" and won.

Obama has far more in common with the Democrats of 1864 than he'll ever have with Lincoln.
UPDATE: Obama responds to Howard in a manner worthy of a presidential candidate:

In a news conference here, Mr. Obama dismissed the remarks, saying it was “flattering that one of George Bush’s allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced.”

Mr. Obama said Australia had sent 1,400 troops to Iraq, a fraction of the American force.

“If he’s ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and send them to Iraq,” Mr. Obama said. “Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of empty rhetoric.”

John Howard has been one of America's staunchest allies, and Obama decides to call him a chickenhawk. Our enemies will love Obama as he alienates our friends. Howard's original comments were quite correct.