NBC's Gregory called Democrats' statements on Iraq "surprising[]" -- but they were consistent

On the September 27 edition of NBC's Today, discussing the September 26 Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire, NBC chief White House correspondent David Gregory asserted that "surprisingly, the top three contenders, [Sen. Hillary Rodham] Clinton [D-NY], [Sen. Barack] Obama [D-IL], and [former Sen. John] Edwards [D-NC], would not promise a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces, even by the end of their first term." But Gregory did not explain why he thought that this was "surprising[]," and in fact the statements of all three candidates were consistent with their previous positions.

As Media Matters for America has documented, both Clinton and Obama have voted for legislation that included provisions for keeping a residual U.S. troop presence in Iraq. In July, the Senate debated an amendment to the defense authorization bill -- offered by Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Carl Levin (D-MI) -- that called for a "reduction" of U.S forces in Iraq to begin "not later than 120 days" after the bill's enactment, but also stipulated that the United States maintain a "limited presence" of troops there to protect U.S. and coalition infrastructure, train Iraqi security forces, and conduct counterterrorism operations. A motion to stop a filibuster of the Levin-Reed proposal garnered 52 votes on July 18, including Clinton's and Obama's.

Additionally, earlier this year, the Senate, with Clinton and Obama's support, passed an emergency supplemental funding bill that would have required the "Secretary [of Defense] ... [to] commence such redeployment no later than October 1, 2007, with a goal of completing that redeployment within 180 days." It also contained a provision to:

Prohibit[] the Secretary, after the appropriate redeployment period, from deploying or maintaining members of the Armed Forces in Iraq for any purpose other than: (1) protecting American diplomatic facilities, American citizens, and other U.S. forces; (2) serving in roles consistent with customary diplomatic positions; (3) engaging in targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations; and (4) training and equipping members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Moreover, as Media Matters has noted, Clinton and Obama have introduced similar legislation in the Senate. Indeed, Obama introduced legislation in January that would require the redeployment of U.S. troops in Iraq to begin "not later than May 1, 2007." According to Obama's bill, redeployment of U.S. forces would be "subject to the exceptions for retention of forces for force protection, counter-terrorism operations, training of Iraqi forces, and other purposes." Clinton introduced a bill on February 16 providing for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, while stipulating that the United States maintain a "limited presence" of forces there for training Iraqi security forces, protecting U.S. personnel and infrastructure, logistical support of Iraqi security forces, and targeted counterterrorism activities.

Edwards has also previously stated that he would not withdraw all troops from Iraq as president. In a May 23 speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Edwards asserted that he would preserve "some presence in Baghdad" in order to "protect the American Embassy and other personnel." From the speech:

EDWARDS: I believe that once we are out of Iraq, the U.S. must retain sufficient forces in the region to prevent a genocide, deter a regional spillover of the civil war, and prevent an Al Qaeda safe haven. We will most likely need to retain Quick Reaction Forces in Kuwait and in the Persian Gulf. We will also need some presence in Baghdad, inside the Green Zone, to protect the American Embassy and other personnel. Finally, we will need a diplomatic offensive to engage the rest of the world in Iraq's future -- including Middle Eastern nations and our allies in Europe.

During the debate, Edwards said that "in the neighborhood of a brigade of troops" would be needed to remain in Iraq because the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and humanitarian workers in Iraq would "have to be protected":

TIM RUSSERT (NBC News Washington managing editor and debate moderator): Senator Edwards, will you commit that at the end of your first term, in 2013, all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq?

EDWARDS: I cannot make that commitment. But I -- well, I can tell you what I would do as president. When I'm sworn into office, come January of 2009, if there are, in fact, as General Petraeus suggests, 100,000 American troops on the ground in Iraq, I will immediately draw down 40 to 50,000 troops; and over the course of the next several months, continue to bring our combat troops out of Iraq until all of our combat troops are, in fact, out of Iraq.

I think the problem is -- and it's what you just heard discussed -- is we will maintain an embassy in Baghdad. That embassy has to be protected. We will probably have humanitarian workers in Iraq. Those humanitarian workers have to be protected.

I think somewhere in the neighborhood of a brigade of troops will be necessary to accomplish that, 3,500 to 5,000 troops.

From the September 27 edition of NBC's Today:

MEREDITH VIEIRA (co-anchor): We're going to begin with today on the trail of the Democrats squaring off in the crucial state of New Hampshire last night. NBC's chief White House correspondent David Gregory is in Hanover, New Hampshire, with the latest.

David, good morning to you -- late night.

GREGORY: It was a late night. Good morning, Meredith. Well, two hours on the debate stage, pronounced differences between the candidates on the issues and a single strategy: knock Hillary Clinton off her stride.

[begin video clip]

GREGORY: A crowded Democratic field sharing a stage and battleground -- New Hampshire -- but a key moment in the debate pitted Clinton against Clinton. The former president once suggested it would be appropriate to torture a suspect to prevent a terror attack against the U.S. Mrs. Clinton disagreed.

RUSSERT: So, he disagrees with you?

CLINTON: Well, he's not standing here right now.

RUSSERT: So there is a disagreement?

CLINTON: Well, I'll talk to him later.

GREGORY: Senator Clinton spent much of the night fending off her rivals. On Iraq, John Edwards said he would immediately withdraw at least 40,000 combat troops, while Senator Clinton, he argued, would prolong the war.

EDWARDS: There are, however, differences between us, and those differences need to be made aware. Good people have differences about this issue, and I would not continue combat missions in Iraq.

GREGORY: Clinton said the only combat mission she would support would be against Al Qaeda. But surprisingly, the top three contenders, Clinton, Obama, and Edwards would not promise a complete withdrawal of U.S. forces, even by the end of their first term.

OBAMA: I think it would be irresponsible. We don't know what contingency will be out there.