The McCain team is pounding Barack Obama’s not-so-clear journey away from his 16-month absolute troop withdrawal plan. The Obama team response is odd. Is Obama back to the “strike force“? Talking about a “residual force” (in what numbers?) and a “discrete mission” (what mission exactly would that be?) sounds like he really isn’t intent on embracing the surge and doing what is needed to transition to a functioning and independent Iraq.
It sounds like a stall, and may simply give more ammunition to the McCain camp to contend that Obama is searching around for reasons to adopt a new plan while the military and even many in the MSM have figured out it is a new ballgame in Iraq thanks to the surge.
Other than abject fear of his left-wing base, it is hard to find out why he is slow-walking himself from one position to another. Sometimes it is better just to rip the band-aid off all at once. Otherwise, people will suspect you lack leadership and political courage.
