Iraqi progress helping John McCain; the video evidence

With a Wisconsin victory now under his belt, Arizona's Sen. John McCain seems virtually certain as the Republican presidential nominee. And it looks as though the war in Iraq, the troop surge and progress on the country's political front will be key issues with whomever is the Democratic nominee during the long campaign until Nov. 4.

Both Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton favor starting an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops and see little progress on the central government's part from the year-old surge.

But, in fact, as this exclusive and revealing new video shows, Iraqi legislators and their numerous political factions appear to be finally learning how to cooperatively work together to accomplish specific reconstruction tasks. This will surely be a strong point for the McCain campaign and a very difficult argument for the Democrats to address.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Tom]

I guess it's really easy for us to sit here in the warmth of our homes and laugh at others who face genocide, joblessness, and random terrorism.

Shame on you!

[Tom J]

I think it's actually pretty good for the Democrats.

As Obama has said all along, the solution has to be political, not military. Until he said Americans were NOT going to stay indefinitely, that the Iraqis had to fish or cut bait, the Iraqis weren't at all interested in resolving their differences.

Remember when their Parliament took their 'summer break' (2-3 months, I think) - while our soldiers were still on duty, risking their lives? Their attitude about the American military presence was: "What can the Americans do? They have no choice but to stay."

We were a handy scapegoat, and they didn't have to take responsibility for their own country staying together. It was all Sunni-Shia-Kurd arguing, no resolving.

Once the Iraqi understood they couldn't take our presence for granted, they started making some progress. If the Democrats had done nothing and left it up to the Republicans and their "we'll stay for as long as it takes" plan, there's no doubt in my mind absolutely nothing would have changed politically, surge or no surge.

[Tom J]

Andrew, I psoted a reply to the piece you should have posted, not the one you did. In the Rumsfeld sense.

[Ronald Loui]

OK, AM, did you really get this video post-surge? That sure looks like pre-surge video (MCCAIN CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE).

Some other random things I've been thinking about...

1. Looking at that Cindy Lou McCain makes me proud to be an American!

2. Good thing George W never learned to give eloquent speeches on torturin' an' invadin' an' spyin'.

3. Wow, the NY Times, the Rental Guide and the Suburban Travel Supplement all endorsed Hillary.

4. McCain doesn't have a Chelsea surrogate, but keep an eye out for the appearance of Mini-me.

5. Huckabee's last chance: "I'll see your 100 years of war with Iraq,and I'll raise you 200 years of war with Iran!"

6. I need a $5M Clinton loan, too, cause I'm broke and I'm hopin' to buy more Obama buttons.

7. Have you seen the Al Qaeda moustache on that Magnum PI guy?

8. I wonder what Bill Clinton thinks of 35 years of the Hillary experience.

9. Obama's campaign slogan was lifted from politicians in Singapore, "Yes, we Cane!"

10. Don't forget that on April 15th, Hillary says your federal income mandate is due.

11. Where do Clintons go after their campaigns die? To the NAFTA-world.

12. Bill Clinton was at first pro-Obama when he misheard about Obama's plans for a House of Constitution.

[Skeptical]

I dunno...I doubt the Democrats will pull out of Iraq either, no matter what the candidates say. Easiest example is how the 2006 Dem majority Congress can't even get a timetable out like they promised, bah...

[Tim]

@ Tom (first poster)

Lighten up, Dude. This video doesn't show genocide, terrorism, or joblessness. It features a bunch of hapless men who didn't think too far ahead when they came up with a plan to right this vehicle. This is a very appropriate visual metaphor for what is going on with the Iraqi gov't.

It's also the funniest thing I've seen on the internet in the last two years. I can't stop watching it.