Both the
Washington Post and the
Wall Street Journal have excellent op-eds making the same point: the Democrats are in denial, verging on delusional, about the success of the Surge. Yesterday, Brookings’ Michael O’Hanlon had
sharp words in the WSJ for Obama for vilifying Iraq war supporters and, again, generally being clueless on the extent and reasons for the progress there. Right now the focus is on Obama-mania and the primary races, but when a Democratic nominee is chosen he or she will find it increasingly hard to pretend nothing has been accomplished and the immediate withdrawal notion is a good one. That is not to say there isn’t a legitimate issue to be had as to how we promote a competent political regime that will allow us to depart. While refreshingly candid, McCain’s remarks that we may be there for a hundred years may not be a politically sustainable or winning position. So with Joe Biden gone from the presidential race who will play the role of grown up and endure the boos of the netroot crowd by reminding them that facts are stubborn things?