Iraq to IGMFU -- A McCain Meltdown?

[DogPoundPup]

It's becoming increasingly evident, at least to me, that the Iraq policies on which John McCain has hitched his wagon are not stars but anvils these days. In a classic "be careful what you wish for," McCain and friends tried to goad Barack Obama into going to Iraq -- the novice, they said, who might even benefit from traveling with the political greybeard, who could "sorta show the new kid around." On their terms, of course. Unfortunately, Barack didn't bite.

Obama finally did go to Iraq and Afghanistan to see for himself and it's the McCain camp left grinding its collective teeth. He's done rather well without the services of Mr. Hundred-Years-Over-There as a tour guide. Obama came, he saw, and he conquered. He not only looked cool in sunglasses and avoided an embarrassing Dukakis-style helmet howler, but he looked downright presidential. Significant meetings with General David Petraeus, exuberant rank-and-file soldiers, and Iraqi government officials including Prime Minister Maliki and his second-in-command made for some terrific photo-ops, flanked by the Bipartisan Brothers, Democrat Reed and Republican Hagel. Maliki further added insult to injury by echoing a preference for a U.S. departure very much like Obama's long-held 16-month withdrawal timeline. Hilariously, the White House then clambered aboard, babbling frantically about a neat new something called a "time horizon" for -- er -- um -- withdrawal. I guess they figured if they came up with something else to call it, it wouldn't count, and voters won't notice anyway.

The press spotted it, though -- so much that McCain is whining about Obama getting too much attention. As if the man long known as "Teflon John" has a right to complain -- for his many gaffes and embarrassments that the mainstream media has resolutely either soft-pedaled or flat-out ignored. Now, of course, he's been recast as Odd Man Out, as events slip through the side door while he's still desperately barricading the front gate. When in doubt, channel Rumplestilskin in hopes of spinning what's already turned into straw - into a kind of fool's gold. "...But, but, but, Obama was wrong about the surge!" Well, Mr. McCain, it can hardly be forgotten how YOU were wrong about the whole thing from the get-go. You REALLY want to get into which man has the best overall, long-range judgment? Besides, if the escalation, or surge, is such a success, then why can't we start leaving?

At any rate, Obama has thus officially bigfooted McCain on McCain's pet issue. That's gotta hurt. As Marc Abinder speculated in theatlantic.com -- "via e-mail, a prominent Republican strategist who occasionally provides advice to the McCain campaign said, simply, "We're f- - - - -."

To read the entire article ... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-lyon/iraq-to-igmfu----a-mccain_b_114423.html