Romney, for once, doesn't mince words about Iraq

As Republican presidential candidates gather Wednesday night in New Hampshire for their last BFT debate (Before Fred Thompson), we'll be watching to see if Mitt Romney is as blunt in discussing Iraq as he was during a Labor Day campaign event.

As spelled out by Jonathan Martin on Politico.com, Romney was trolling for support at a VFW hall in Nashua, N.H., when a questioner referred to the situation in Iraq as "an unmitigated mess" (on the same day, President Bush hailed security gains in the country as he paid his surprise visit to Anbar province).

Romney did not quibble with his questioner's assessment. "OK, well first of all, it is a mess," he said.  "So, so when you got a mess, there is no easy, good answer. ... We are where we are."

As Martin noted, Romney "is typically more measured in his analysis of Iraq when the question comes up on the campaign trail." He and the other leading contenders, as The Times' Janet Hook detailed in a weekend story, are walking a fine line in confronting the Bush legacy. For the most part, they quibble with the execution of his policies --- especially concerning Iraq --- while backing the general principles that have guided him.

As Romney continued his answer at the VFW hall, he focused on a best-case scenario for the future. While expressing support for the military "surge" Bush implemented in Iraq, he said he hoped for a quick transition into what he termed "phase two" of how he would deal with the situation --- substantially reduce the U.S. troop presence and have those remaining focus on "support" services (intelligence gathering, air cover, etc.).

And though he warned that pulling out the troops "too quickly" could spur a "massive civil war" throughout the region, he said in an aside, "We already have a civil war" within Iraq. That's not a description known to tumble from the mouths of Bush and his aides, and we're wondering if we'll be hearing it during the debate at the University of New Hampshire.

-- Don Frederick

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