[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/19/art.maliki.gi.jpg caption="al-Maliki praised Obama’s 16-month withdrawal plan in a newspaper report Saturday."]CRAWFORD, TX (CNN) - An embarrassing slip up for the White House press office Saturday, when an aide hit the wrong button and mistakenly sent to the news media a Reuters article saying Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki backs presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's troop withdrawal plan.
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel says, "It was a mistake. Clips list for staff was supposed to be the addressee."
The Obama campaign quickly took advantage of the mistake, forwarding an ABC report detailing the incident to its press list.
This is not the first time the White House has emailed in error. But its timing is particularly embarrassing as the Bush administration's recent agreement with al-Maliki on a "general time horizon" for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq is being cited by some as resembling Obama's proposal that U.S. forces should leave within 16 months.
This great. The whole world can get excited that the Iraqi government wants the US out. Duh! But what about the security of the region? Sorry, that doesn't matter.
woo hooo!!!!!!!!!! yeahhhhhhhhhh...Here we go again! Obama '08.
Obama has a good idea and what's new??? Many of us already knew this fact so why is the media just now acting like they are on to something. The tides are turning despite the divisiveness that still exists.
LOL I'm loving it. You may not like Obama but you gotta admit he is very intelligent.
it's ashamed the way our country's leaders will cry foul on someone elses idea just because they are affiliated with a different party.
those that do that are "true" dems/republicans...hell bent on tearing this country apart just so they can say, "We won!"
Bush criticized Obama's foreign policy of negotiating with Iran— and now the WH is negotiating with Iran.
Bush criticized Obama's timeline for withdrawal— and now the WH is considering a similar plan.
It sounds like Obama was right on Iraq 's timetable on withdrawal, right on Iran's negotiation, right on moving more troops to Afghanistan, right on talking to North Korea. Yet both GOP and McCain and Bush don't want to give him credit;
Thanks to John's understanding of the counter-insurgency.
..atta...Boy!!!
First was general time horizon,in plain words time table for withdrawal.
secondly meeting with Iran in Swiss.what about appeasement?
Obama had it right all along.All his policies are curiously being implemented by the same people who cried out loud that he is inexperience.To be a good president you just need good judgement.
The experience politician couldn´t see the recession coming or Iraq.
McCain and Bush must be utterly livid. Now, in just a fortnight, the Iraqi Prime Minister has agreed with a time table for withdrawal, rejected the Status of Forces agreement, and now sides squarely with Obama on the 16 month departure goal.
Next week: will al Maliki announce that the surge did nothing, and that it is the impending change of the Presidency in the US to Mr. Obama that was the main reason the Shiites and Sunni's are now reconciling?
"Bulldog July 19th, 2008 9:50 am ET
First McCain said Obama was irresponsible for saying he would attack Al Queida in Pakistan if their was solid intelligence. Since calling Obama 'irresponsilbe' our miliarty has attacked Al Queida 4 times in Pakistan.
McCain calls Obama naive and reckless for wanting to set a timetable to get out of Iraq. Next thing you know the sovereign Iraq government demands we set a timetable and Bush has given in but would rather call it a "time horizon".
McCain calls Obama reckless and an appeaser for saying he will sit down with leaders of countries unfriendly to the U.S. 3 months later the U.S. successfully appeases and negoitiates with N. Korea ('axis of evil') and they begin to dismantle their nuclear plants. Now they are doing the same with Iran.
Obama has been saying Afganistan needs more troops and equipment for a year now while McCain barely mentioned it. Obama makes a big speech about it and McCain follows Obama's coattails and states what Obama has been saying all along.
Who has the judgement?
"
Well said!!!!!!!!!!!!
It keeps getting better... EVERYBODY is seeing that Obama is right... on EVERYTHING!
It can't get any better than this! But watch out because McBush will make up things to slam Obama on because of this!
Oops 🙂
OMG. This is too funny. If Iraq keeps this up, they will be on the list with Iran and North Korea. I don't think al-Maliki is on McCain's speed dial any more.
well that is embarasing for our president
Too bad this isn't the only mistake they made on Iraq.
10 years sober
Oh no, the kiss of death! When "W" and company start to shill for you, nothing but disaster is in your future
Remember this isn't a timeline, it is a
"general time horizon".
There is a BIG difference.....
al-Maliki is just stalling like Mao Ze Dung stalled during WW II. As you know, Mao held back his men and stockpiled his ammo while Chang Kai Shek helped the USA kick Japan out of China. Then when the US Forces departed China after the war, Mao moved in and kicked Chang all the way to Formosa. And now you have Red China. And we let that happen.
Well now it looks like al-Maliki on is waiting and stalling for the US to leave and then the blood bath will begin and the Sunni's will be murdered on a scale not seen in recent times. Then Iran will move in on a weak Iraq.
Is this what we want? McCain will not let this happen while I'm afraid that the girlie man, Obama will.
Vote and send money to McCain.
Ce Chat pas fume
Am I understanding this? The press would not have seen a Reuters article if the White House hadn't sent it out by accident? I thought Reuters was the press.
Obama just claims all the positions and gives himself wiggle room.
That way he can never appear to be wrong.
CNN, would you please post the latest news: Obama doesn’t want veteran Max Cleland at a campaign event.
People needed to giving Obama some credit because he has been right on a lot of issues
Lol.....it just gets worse and worse for the neo-con's.....
HA! I love it when the WH press office gets caught in the TRUTH amidst all their lies.