Throughout the Republican primary, John McCain spent much of his time stumping about how much he hated timetables. Remember when McCain used much of the debate at the Reagan library to clobber Mitt Romney for just mentioning the word timetable? Mitt even demanded McCain apologize for the accusation.

But since then, the convention wisdom has moved miles on Iraq. Maliki, for example, backs a timetable similar to Obama's.

But McCain doesn't seem to want to get left behind. Yesterday on CNN:

First the Iraqi government gave Senator Barack Obama a boost by seeming to embrace his proposal for a 16-month timetable for withdrawing American troops from Iraq. But could Senator John McCain, who built his candidacy in large part on his opposition to a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, possibly be following suit?

"I think it's a pretty good timetable," Mr. McCain said Friday in an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room,'' before adding that it should be based "on the conditions on the ground.''

For months Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has railed against setting timetables for withdrawing from Iraq, and has criticized Mr. Obama, his Democratic rival, for suggesting one. But in recent days the debate has shifted as Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, moved closer to Mr. Obama's position.

In the interview on CNN Mr. McCain first seemed to downplay any possibility that Mr. Maliki would actually ask for the United States to withdraw its troops in the next 16 months to two years. "He won't,'' he said, explaining that he knows Mr. Maliki well.

Remember, opposition to a timetable in Iraq represented one of McCain's most precious trademark positions. Victory over defeat.

I just can't understand why he's ceding this ground. He's admitting he's wrong on Iraq.

ALSO: just because it's Saturday, head over and watch McCain's presser in front of a dairy case. Yes, he is standing front of processed cheese:

Update [2008-7-26 16:46:2 by Josh Orton]: Jed at jedreport.com edits together the video of McCain now with the McCain of January...