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Op-Ed Contributor
Obama Sideswipes McCain on Iraq
By Alan Gray, NewsBlaze
For all John McCain's professing of wisdom and experience, it was really stunning to see how Obama took the initiative away from him over Iraq.
McCain had his set plan, based on what he thinks should happen, guided by Generals, advisors, his own ideas, and the need to honor the work already done by US military men and women.
Obama's set plan, decided before he went to Iraq was to get out of Iraq as quickly as possible, make the Iraqis stand up on their own and play to his base that wants out of Iraq at all costs, yesterday.
What McCain didn't appear to do, in all this time, with rhetoric flowing freely, was to ask the Iraqis what they wanted. His flip remark that the US should stay in Iraq for 100 years may have done a lot of good for Iraq. Until then, the Iraqis seemed content to fight over turf, not putting too much effort into resolving problems.
With a strengthened Iraqi military, thanks to the efforts of coalition trainers, the "We can do anything" US military leading by example, the Iraqis are feeling more in control.
That was the whole idea!
It wouldn't have been too difficult for McCain and his advisors, considering they had so much emphasis on Iraq, to actually keep in touch with al Maliki and ask what their thoughts were.
But that's not the way it's done here.
So McCain fell in a hole and Obama landed on his feet.
Now there are more challenges - how will McCain recover from this, and will Obama remain in this leading position, given that he appears to be shunning the advice of General Petraeus.
Petraeus wants to win this war once. If it isn't done right, it may have to done all over again at a later date.
McCain and Obama both need to think seriously about how to proceed.
judythpiazza@newsblaze.com
Tags: US military men and women,Obama's set plan,strengthened Iraqi military,al Maliki,advice of General Petraeus
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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