I hope this works and end the meme emerging in the past 2 weeks that he flip-flopped on Iraq

is hardly what we are looking for in terms of : "Change we can believe in" How about talking about a strategy for peace? Call all of the middle eastern players into one room and begin by laying out a peace plan that would benefit the nations presently encumbered by the hornet's nest bush whalloped with a baseball bat. It doesn't benefit Pakastan to have al Qaeda nesting there. Afghanistan learned that when the real coalition of armies eliminated them from the country at the start of the "war". Give Pakistan the ultimatum. Give saudi Arabia the same ultimatum: End the madras schools, Egypt too. Syria and Lebanon also. Israel too must cut the crap of bombing these countries for whatever reason. Get them all in a room and tell them the future of civilization is at stake, not just theirs but the entire world's. Begin a dialog based on hope not fear.

A good way to show America's sincerity would be to impeach Bush for his crimes and set him adrift for a World Court date for charges of war Crimes. That would send a clear signal that we are looking for a different outcome for peace in the Middle east. Maybe a "trade". Bush for bin Laden, with one or two "unnamed" players included. Cheney and Rumsfeld come to mind. Rummy could use the rest a trial would bring from all those paper cuts he's getting shredding all those documents that would tie him into the war crimes morass. Throw in Addington and Yoo for good measure...

and he can explain to me why he felt it was necessary to lie about his FISA position and why I should vote for another liar who doesn't think it's important to protect my rights and allows criminals to go free.

I've had enough of that bullshit for the last 8 years to last me a lifetime, thanks.

What about the mercenaries (approximately 150,000)? Will they still be left in Iraq? It is always good to have organizations like Blackwater representing the good old USA in the Middle East.

Same old, same old. Still won't vote for him.

On a lighter note, I rushed out to buy the New Yorker this morning. That cover's gonna be a classic! :) woot! I'm framing it and hanging it up in my room, lol.

Indeed. Blackwater didn't build that huge training camp near San Diego just to be playing games with the Mexicans. (http://opinion.latimes.com/opinionla/2008/07/blackwater-and.html)

And what about this:

After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces.

Notice how he said "Mesopotamia," not Iraq.

I am sick of hearing about FISA. It has become the a stick to beat Barack Obama with. The law has passed. He explained his vote. Get over it. The ability to suit the phone companies will solve no problem in this country. Why should only the phone companies pay a price for the national hysteria.

Move on to the next important issue. Phone company immunity is a dead issue. Until after the election. It will difficult to get folks to revisit the issue. I honestly believe there are more important issues than punishing the phone companies for the response to an illegal request from the government.

because it appears he's at odds with the reality on the ground. On background, a number of commanders told ABC News that Obama's plan is not workable. Time-based withdrawal, according to them, is not a good strategy. It has to be conditions-based.

I guess the commanders don't realize Obama's "plan" is "presidential politics-based."

So much for a new kind of politics! Ugh.

While I support Obama, his plan is starting to sound less of a change and more of the same. A "planned withdrawal" works only if it is part of a larger plan trying for total peace in the Middle East.

There are many issues with which we need to grapple, such as the Israeli-Palestine conflict, our continuing issues with Iran, the lack of permanent stability in Afganistan, and all the problems facing Pakistan. A major summit involving those problems plus Iraq is certainly in order. Obama has the opportunity of putting all such issues "on the table" -- discussing solutions and trying to come to some sort of concensus. While hoping for a solution to all these matters simultaneously is a bit much, a major effort is possible, and it may get us started down the road to real peace in the Middle East.

"Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia" is a common translation for the group's name Tanzim Qaidat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn which refers to "the Country of the Two Rivers" rather than Iraq.

Just wanted to clear that up, and annoy omooex with my know-it-allness :-)

Leave the Iraqis "on the ground" (odious cliche!), and let them fight among themselves, if they want to fight. Our occupation has been worse for them than Saddam's regime was. They will be glad we left, and they will be better off.

We will be glad, and we will be better off. Send a quarter of our American troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, and bring the rest home. Spend a quarter of our Iraq money in Afghanistan, and bring the rest home.

We have been there too long, and we have failed. Barack, please do not give in to the murderous baloney of the Republicans and the ignorant "patriots."

"Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia" is a common translation for the group's name Tanzim Qaidat Al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn which refers to "the Country of the Two Rivers" rather than Iraq.

#### Maybe so but, since it's not commonly known, perhaps different wording or some explanation was in order in Barack's piece. As it is, it sounds a bit ominous to those of us less know-it-all and more fearful...