As I understand it, he also recently attempted to downplay his "100 years" comment by saying he meant a military presence similar to that in South Korea.  I honestly don't see how that makes his idea much more palatable - I don't think that Americans want a military presence in Iraq, period.  If he's unwilling to back away from that position, I think it's a winner for our side.

If McCain persists with this argument in the general election, Obama will destroy him.  This is exactly the kind of thinking that Obama has no patience for.  

The Surge has already done pretty much everything it's going to do.  Violence levels are already ticking back up, and it's unclear how long the military can keep up post-Surge troop levels.  Even if the current situation doesn't deteriorate any further, it's hard to see much significant political progress being made in Iraq.  Bush, of course, is just killing the clock.

November is eight and a half months from now.  "The Surge is working" isn't going to be a very credible meme come election time.  If there's another uptick in violence between now and November, which seems to me like almost a virtual certainty, McCain't will be toast.  

You "think" it's a winner for our side?!  I think you are being an overly charitable Democratic, the kind that loses every 4 years.

Mark my words: if the Democratic nominee hammers McCain with the "100 years" comment between now and November, he (or she) is virutally a lock to win the general election.

There were several postive political movements this week in Iraq, including passing a budget.  Democrats need to incorporate this into any message they have on Iraq.

This line of attack is just such "old politics."  It's time we just give up for good.

I understand McCain is trying to play both sides of the issue.  

In order for him to sound like he's strong on national defense, he can't even allude to the fact that we should start a drawdown, even if it makes sense amongst those who might be willing to elect him.    In essence, he's playing to his base.  Much like Obama is by suggesting that he'll start a withdrawal of troops as soon as he's elected.

The tightrope that the next PotUS will be required to walk is definitely going to be a very narrow wire.

Nevertheless, as a previous commenter has advised, the surge has worked as well as it is going to, and now is the time to start backing off on our troop commitments, in order to bring the Iraqis back to the table, politically, so that we can begin to turn the reins over to them.

Actually there's some very small positive political movement. But it's one of those developments that could easily be blown apart by a ton of actors.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/ world/la-fg-iraqlaws14feb14,0,969545.sto ry

Here's the bottom line on Iraq: The "American People" don't want to think about it, partly because most of them initally supported it.  McCain's position is not fatal to his campaign.  I'd rather be Obama in this matter, but bragging about how smart you were in a speech you made in 2002 won't get you very far.

Been there and done that, sort of.  We had a serious violent gang problem locally and (I was law enforcement) we decided to do a "surge" to stamp it out (this is actually an old French strategy used successfully in Algeria to eliminate the FLN).  So we stamped it out, meaning that we fixed them so that if they moved on anybody we busted them.  However, it didn't work if you call elimination of the gang "working."  Our tactic worked, but  because we didn't kill them all, arrest them all, or chase them all out of town it did not work.  They were still around but so long as we were there they did nada.  But as soon as we pulled out that gang controlled the area once again.  We didn't, and don't, have enough law enforcement to eliminate the gangs, no matter what.  

Barack Obama is not leaving Wisconsin early.  he has an event scheduled in Beloit Wi on Monday evening.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community /post/samgrahamfelsen/gGgGDX

Now, if you want to make an analysis that he isn't spending part of Monday in Wisconsin and that is interesting go right ahead but do not continue to spread falsehoods that Obama is leaving Wi early.
I was able to get Chris Bowers to retract this erroneous reporting from his Quick Hits list, but Beeton continues to report and make analyses that are based on faulty information.  Please correct error!!!!  I am not associated with the Obama campaign but am an Obama supporter in Wisconsin.