General Casey Backs Obama’s Story

Watching tonight’s debate I was impressed by the degree to which Clinton and Obama have exchanged places compared to the early debates. Initially Clinton was the front runner and dominated the debates. Obama gradually improved in the debates and has certainly changed positions in the national polls. By the time they got to the current one on one debates, Obama has become the one who looks presidential while Clinton looks like a desperate has been.

I’m actually holding off for a transcript and more reaction to comment further on tonight’s debate but there is actually some significant news related to last week’s debate. Right wingers have claimed that the story Obama told last week of inadequately supplied troops was untrue. Another source is backing Obama’s story–Army chief of staff General George Casey:

Army chief of staff Gen. George Casey, testifying on troop strain before the Senate Armed Forces Committee Tuesday, said there is “no reason to doubt” Sen. Barack Obama’s military shortage story during CNN’s debate in Austin, Texas, last week.

“You know, I’ve heard from an Army captain who was the head of a rifle platoon — supposed to have 39 men in a rifle platoon. Ended up being sent to Afghanistan with 24 because 15 of those soldiers had been sent to Iraq,” Obama told CNN moderator Campbell Brown.

“And as a consequence, they didn’t have enough ammunition, they didn’t have enough Humvees. They were actually capturing Taliban weapons, because it was easier to get Taliban weapons than it was for them to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief,” he added.

War supporters have challenged the story, but Casey said he had “no reason to doubt what it is the captain says.”

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