Posted by Jed Lewison on Mon Apr 7, 2008 at 5:16 PM Pacific

Yes, Obama criticized Iraq war before Clinton. Even in 2005.

I started criticizing the war in Iraq before he did.
-- Hillary Clinton, 4/5/08

Yes, that's a pretty crazy thing to say, but this being Clinton, there's some parsing involved. In her mind, anything that happened before January, 2005 doesn't count, because she and Barack Obama weren't both in the Senate.

Okay -- but as Jake Tapper documented, Clinton's story was flat-out false.

I did a bit of digging, found the video of Barack Obama on January 18, 2005 at Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearing. This is the Barack Obama we love -- intellectual and sincere, respectful but uncompromising. And criticizing the Iraq war as a U.S. Senator -- before Hillary Clinton.

Here's Clinton on Saturday (extended version here):

As Tapper explained, the only evidence Clinton's folks could come up with to defend her claim was a written statement from January 26, 20058 -- eight days after Obama questioned Rice. Note that this was a statement for the record -- she didn't give it herself, and may never have seen it.

Meanwhile, a few weeks later, in February 2005, she was touring Iraq with BFF John McCain.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Sen. John McCain were part of a five-member congressional delegation visiting Iraq. Faleh Kheiber, AP

Clinton says insurgency is failing

BAGHDAD (AP) — As 55 people died in Iraq on Saturday, the holiest day on the Shiite Muslim religious calendar, Sen. Hillary Clinton said that much of Iraq was "functioning quite well" and that the rash of suicide attacks was a sign that the insurgency was failing.

Clinton, a New York Democrat, said insurgents intent on destabilizing the country had failed to disrupt Iraq's landmark Jan. 30 elections.

"The concerted effort to disrupt the elections was an abject failure. Not one polling place was shut down or overrun," Clinton told reporters inside the U.S.-protected Green Zone, a sprawling complex of sandbagged buildings surrounded by blast walls and tanks. The zone is home to the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy.

When they returned from Iraq, Clinton and McCain made a joint appearance on Meet the Press. Not surprisingly, she was hardly critical of the war. Sorry, no video, but I've posted the full transcript of Iraq-related questions put to Clinton here.

Meanwhile, the truth is that Barack Obama has been consistently strong on the Iraq war:

Yes, Obama criticized Iraq war before Clinton. Even in 2005.

I started criticizing the war in Iraq before he did.
-- Hillary Clinton, 4/5/08

Yes, that's a pretty crazy thing to say, but this being Clinton, there's some parsing involved. In her mind, anything that happened before January, 2005 doesn't count, because she and Barack Obama weren't both in the Senate.

Okay -- but as Jake Tapper documented, Clinton's story was flat-out false.

I did a bit of digging, found the video of Barack Obama on January 18, 2005 at Condoleeza Rice's confirmation hearing. This is the Barack Obama we love -- intellectual and sincere, respectful but uncompromising. And criticizing the Iraq war as a U.S. Senator -- before Hillary Clinton.

Here's Clinton on Saturday (extended version here):

As Tapper explained, the only evidence Clinton's folks could come up with to defend her claim was a written statement from January 26, 20058 -- eight days after Obama questioned Rice. Note that this was a statement for the record -- she didn't give it herself, and may never have seen it.

Meanwhile, a few weeks later, in February 2005, she was touring Iraq with BFF John McCain.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, and Sen. John McCain were part of a five-member congressional delegation visiting Iraq. Faleh Kheiber, AP

Clinton says insurgency is failing

BAGHDAD (AP) — As 55 people died in Iraq on Saturday, the holiest day on the Shiite Muslim religious calendar, Sen. Hillary Clinton said that much of Iraq was "functioning quite well" and that the rash of suicide attacks was a sign that the insurgency was failing.

Clinton, a New York Democrat, said insurgents intent on destabilizing the country had failed to disrupt Iraq's landmark Jan. 30 elections.

"The concerted effort to disrupt the elections was an abject failure. Not one polling place was shut down or overrun," Clinton told reporters inside the U.S.-protected Green Zone, a sprawling complex of sandbagged buildings surrounded by blast walls and tanks. The zone is home to the Iraqi government and the U.S. Embassy.

When they returned from Iraq, Clinton and McCain made a joint appearance on Meet the Press. Not surprisingly, she was hardly critical of the war. Sorry, no video, but I've posted the full transcript of Iraq-related questions put to Clinton here.

Meanwhile, the truth is that Barack Obama has been consistently strong on the Iraq war: