Criticising Bush for the war in Iraq, US presidential hopeful Barack Obama said, the "world will take a sigh of relief" the day the former steps down from his post.
WASHINGTON: Criticising President George Bush for the war in Iraq, US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has said, the "world will take a sigh of relief" the day Bush steps down from his post.
"The day this president (Bush) steps down, the entire world will breathe a sigh of relief," Obama said in Kansas City on Sunday.
Terming the war in Iraq as a "bad idea" the democrat said, "After half a trillion dollars spent and after 3,400 lives lost of our bravest young men and women, thousands more wounded, legs severed, nerves shattered, it is time for us to bring this war to a close".
Obama, the Illinois law maker also said the Congress was close to having the required votes on Iraq war financing bill that could withstand a presidential veto.
"We are 16 votes away from ending this war in the Senate, a comparable number of votes away in the house, and we need everyone here to let your congressman, your senator know it's time to bring our troops home," he said.
Obama also criticised one of Bush's pet themes - energy conservation and said, the country must step up fuel efficiency mandates by forty per cent and in the process eliminate foreign oil.
"We could stop sending USD 800 million a day to some of the most hostile natures on earth, funding both sides of the war on terrorism," Obama remarked.
Currently within the Democratic Party, Obama is behind front runner Senator Hillary Clinton by as much as 15 points, but the Illinois Democrat is said to be fast catching up and has had a terrific impact in the way he has gone about fund raising.
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