A Candidate's Lonely Iraq Crusade Finally Vindicated...Obama's?
File Monday's editorial, "Mr. McCain and Iraq," under you-gotta-be-kidding-me. In the telling of the Times' editorial board, there is a candidate whose bold and visionary plan for Iraq has been vindicated by events, and his name is...Barack Obama?
Senator John McCain's rival, Senator Barack Obama, once was a lonely voice demanding the withdrawal of all combat forces by mid-2010.
But now, Iraq's leaders are pushing a timetable that would have American troops out in 2011.
Even President Bush - who had long scorned the notion of a withdrawal deadline as defeatist - looks set to go along. Iraq's leaders are demanding that Mr. Bush accept that deadline in exchange for legalizing the continued American military presence in the country.
That leaves Mr. McCain as the stubborn man out.
That twisted history utterly avoids the fact that the only reason a responsible withdrawal from Iraq is even thinkable now is because of the very surge Obama opposed.
And Monday's lead editorial, "John McCain's Challenge," managed an impressive turnaround, accusingMcCain of "playing the race card by baselessly accusing Mr. Obama of playing it."
The editorial board apparently forgot Obama injected race into the campaign when he accused Republicans, without evidence, of trying to scare voters by pointing out that he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."
