Clinton, Obama and the war

The Democrats are involved in quite a spat over the war, with Bill Clinton saying there is no difference between Obama's voting record on the war and Hillary's. "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen," the former President said at Dartmouth last Monday.

The truth is that Hillary voted to authorize the use of force in Afghanistan and Iraq. Obama spoke out against the war in 2002 while he was an Illinois state senator, but moderated his anti-war stance during his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign.

The problem is that BOTH major candidates have failed to recognize that while the Iraq war may have been mismanaged during its earlier stages, is is undeniable that the "surge," which began in 2007, has been a rousing success. American and Iraqi casualties have dropped significantly. Hillary memorably said that the Petraus strategy required a "willing suspension of disbelief."

Both Hillary and Obama have shifted with the political winds on the war, supporting it when it seemed popular; opposing it when it seemed unpopular; and now seem unable or unwilling to acknowledge success. Contrast their positions with McCain, who supported the war effort from the start and criticized the President for not surging soon enough.