COURIC: But talking microcosmically, did the surge, the addition of
30,000 --

OBAMA: Heh, heh.

COURIC: -- additional troops --

OBAMA: Katie?

COURIC: -- help the situation in Iraq?

OBAMA: Katie, the -- the -- the -- Uh, you've asked me three
different times and, eh, eh, I said repeatedly that there is no doubt
that, uh, our troops helped to reduce violence.

COURIC: But yet --

OBAMA: There's no doubt.

COURIC: -- you are saying if you knew --
OBAMA: But, duh --

COURIC: Given what you know now, you still wouldn't support it.

OBAMA: Because the -- Because the --

COURIC: So I'm just trying to understand this.

OBAMA: Because -- because, uh, uh, i-i-it's pretty straightforward.
By us putting $10 to $12 billion a month -- $200 billion -- that's
money that could have gone into Afghanistan. Those additional troops
could have gone into Afghanistan. That money also could have been
used to shore up, uh, a declining economic situation in the United
States.
--

Scott in Florida

Scott in Florida, 7/24/2008,5:45:21 PM, wrote:

> COURIC: But talking microcosmically, did the surge, the addition of
> 30,000 --
>
> OBAMA: Heh, heh.
>
> COURIC: -- additional troops --
>
> OBAMA: Katie?
>
> COURIC: -- help the situation in Iraq?
>
> OBAMA: Katie, the -- the -- the -- Uh, you've asked me three
> different times and, eh, eh, I said repeatedly that there is no doubt
> that, uh, our troops helped to reduce violence.
>
> COURIC: But yet --
>
> OBAMA: There's no doubt.
>
> COURIC: -- you are saying if you knew --
> OBAMA: But, duh --
>
> COURIC: Given what you know now, you still wouldn't support it.
>
> OBAMA: Because the -- Because the --
>
> COURIC: So I'm just trying to understand this.
>
> OBAMA: Because -- because, uh, uh, i-i-it's pretty straightforward.
> By us putting $10 to $12 billion a month -- $200 billion -- that's
> money that could have gone into Afghanistan. Those additional troops
> could have gone into Afghanistan. That money also could have been
> used to shore up, uh, a declining economic situation in the United
> States.

This topic would have been much more interesting if you took "is" out
of the subject line.