Before laying out his administration's plans for the U.S. military in Iraq Friday, the President called former President George W. Bush. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)
(CNN) – President Barack Obama called former President Bush on this morning to tell him about his plan to withdraw troops from Iraq, the White House said Friday.
Obama called the former president “as a courtesy” right before his speech at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Obama also called Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki from Air Force One to brief him on his plan to withdraw most troops from that country by the end of August 2010. The preident also “sought and received” an agreement from the prime minister that he would receive Christopher Hill as the next U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
On Friday, Obama released his plan to end combat operation in Iraq by August 31, 2010.
From CNN Politics
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Why did President Obama call W. to inform him of the 8/31/10 Iraq troop withdrawal? Because Barack is what in Yiddish is called a mensch,a genuinely good and thoughtful human being!
Good job,
wow! another campaign promise kept.... what a weird feeling...
"As a courtesy". Wow a president that has courtesy now that is new. i
I think this was very honorable of the President to call Bush, it show a since of respect that has long been missing in DC.
I do want to say one thing to all the Republicans making comments and disagreements and disaproval of the Presidents Stimulus Bill and his new Budget and every thing he says and does........WE DON"T CARE WHAT YOU THINK......if we did care about your views your beliefs your policies we would have voted for McCain, we would have voted Republican.....we didn't.......so like I tell my Grandkids – TALK TO THE HAND........we ain't listening to you.........especially when you have Limbaugh speaking for you, what a junkie........Steele thinks he can bring everyone over or back to the party with a little HIP HOP talk – he ain't da-man! Mr. Rogers (Jindal) and Palin (Bimbo) you call them rising stars – I call them as I call the whole of the GOP CLUELESS.....
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT A LEADER. HE IS A PERSON WHO SHOWS RESPECT FOR ALL EVEN IF THEY DISRESPECT HIM. I CAN SEE WHY WHY MOST AMERICANS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD LIKE AND SUPPORT HIM.
THIS IS THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP WE NEED HERE AND ABROAD.
GOD BLESS AMERICA, PRES. OBAMA AND FAMILY.
GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.
For all our sakes don't take any advice from Fuhrer Bush.
I was correct the Repub moderator does not post anything about the Rethugs.
I am sure they will be posting their rude comments whereas President Obama is being forthcoming. Meanwhile, the Rethugs like Huckabee call the new president a communist. Is that the best they can do?
I doubt Bush even cared. I'm sure he's through with working for a country that didn't appreciate his service for 8 years. This is all Obama's problem now.
It is now officially Obama's war to win or to lose.
"ALSO, MR BUSH,
I WILL BLAME YOU FOR ALL THIS BECAUSE IM NOT A REAL MAN"
OBAMA ~ 2/27/229
WHY CALL? IM SURE BUSH WOULD FIND OUT SOONER OR LATER
WOULD BUSH GET A CALL FOR HIS TAX CUTS NOT BEING EXTENDED
Who cares?
Hopefully he called him to apologize for bashing W for 2 years about his Iraq policy. I hope he thanked him for getting us to the point where the troops can come home with victory. Hope is never a method and Obama might have gotten his first thing right.
Did Bush know what the telephone was for?
We got rid of a chimp in the WH last year, we put another chimp to take his place. This plan of Obama will backfire, Bush already signed and agreement with PM of Iraq to withdraw all troops by 2012. NObama don't have to rehash it, the agreement was already signed, whatever he's saying now don't have an ounce of credibility, he's a copycat, no more no less.
So why are we leaving 50,000 troops there? Aren't we in a recession? Should we really be funding that many troops?
Why does he feel that he needs to tell Bush anything? Bush doesn't care! He just did whatever Cheney told him to do.
Yeeeesh!
Republicans – What is the difference in sending billions of taxpayer dollars to other countries or spending billions of our dollars in America?
That is the question: Intelligent responses only.
We have no say at all in the billions of dollars we send to other countries taxpayers, but we can have a say in spending billions in America. You make the choice.
I thought it was going to say, "President Calls Bush 'Out' on Iraq"
Obama is a fantastic diplomat, I can't even imagin Bush having the sense or courtey to do this. I would love to know Bush's comments.
What an amazing man !
The USA and the world now have a real capable leader.
Hmmmm, now lets see.....where is the part about leaving tens of thousands of troops there for an indefinite amount of time? You know, the same thing that McCain was going to do. There is just not enough difference here. Bring in the new regime, just like the old regime. The two-party scam continues.
Can someone please check the sentence structure and spelling in this article? Hint: start with the first sentence.
This only further proves that regarless of whether or not you agree with President Obama's policies/politics, he is a man who treats everyone with a great deal of respect. For that, we should be proud to have him as our President, and he deserves respect.
I hope Obama thanked Bush for the troop surge that has made it possible for Obama to bring all but 50,000 of the troops home by August 2010. Without the surge Iraq would be a total mess and would have been lost. How many Obama supporters will admit that Obama said the surge would not work and make things worse?
Well, if you put it that way, socialism started with FDR and look how history regards him. A "blue blood" who brought about social-istic programs to get us out of the depression. The Republican who preceded FDR, Herbert Hoover, did nothing to stem the downward spiral. His Republican stance was, "Business will 'right' itself. " Well, it just got worse and worse. FDR put America on the road to recovery with his programs (starting with Social Security).
LBJ advanced that thinking with establishing Medicare and Medicaid.
If the Republicans REALLY want to be true to their rhetoric of Obama's creeping socialism, maybe they should take it a step farther and abolish SOCIAL Security and Medicare. Otherwise SHUT UP!!