'We're Gonna Try This Again'

July 3, 2008— -- Whatever happened to "absolute clarity"?

Barack Obama struggled Thursday in two separate news conferences to explain his plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.

Obama said in the first of two Fargo, N.D., media availabilities that he will "continue to refine" his plan to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from Iraq in 16 months when he travels to the war-torn country later this month to meet with American military commanders.

"I've always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability. That assessment has not changed," said Obama. "And when I go to Iraq and have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I'm sure I'll have more information and will continue to refine my policies."

Obama's openness to adjust his 16-month withdrawal plan was somewhat at odds with the stance he took during a recent ABC News debate. At the time, Obama seemed to stand by his campaign manager's unambiguous pledge to have troops out of Iraq in 16 months "at the most."

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters on March 7 that Obama has been "crystal clear with the American people that if and when he is elected president, we will be out of Iraq in -- as he said, the time frame would be about 16 months at the most where you withdraw troops. There should be no confusion about that with absolute clarity."

At the April 16 debate in Philadelphia, ABC News' Charlie Gibson asked Obama about his campaign manager's unambiguous pledge.

Obama seemed to stand by Plouffe's words, saying, "the commander-in-chief sets the mission, Charlie."

Later in the same answer, the Illinois Democrat gave himself some wiggle room "with respect to tactics."

"[I]f they come to me and want to adjust tactics," said Obama, referring to U.S. commanders in Iraq, "then I will certainly take their recommendations into consideration."

But he still asserted that he would be the one providing commanders with what he calls "the mission."

Obama's comments on refining his Iraq policies are also at odds with the Iraq plan that he currently has on his campaign website.

Obama: Iraq trip could shift strategy to bring troops home in 16 months. LINK

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