http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080713_Worldview__Iraq_a_tricky_issue_for_Obama.html

To the editor:

Iraq is a tricky issue for Obama and for McCain; but Trudy
Rubin (Currents, 7/13) apparently sees problems about the issue for the
Obama campaign. McCain has already had to recant his Hundred Years War
pledge, he has had to recant his reasoning for supporting the initial
invasion, he has flip-flopped his reasoning for supporting the "surge,"
and cannot account for the Iraqi government's failure to meet the
political goals which the surge was supposed to provide. Prime Minister
Maliki's call for a withdrawal timetable is a slap in the face to Bush
and McCain.

By claiming that Obama's refinement is some kind of reversal, Rubin
ignores the nuanced language of Obama's withdrawal commitment
throughout the campaign. Indeed, Obama and Clinton only agreed to a
withdrawal when challenged by Bill Richardson to provide the number of
United States troops that would still be present after one year. Until
Richardson's challenge, the front runners had spoken only in general
terms about Bush's betrayal and deception of Congress, to support Bush
war appropriations. Obama's and Clinton's commitment to a withdrawal
without a timetable followed. More serious commitments to remove United
States armed forces were always qualified so that the withdrawal would
not be so precipitous as to reconstruct the fall of Saigon. The attempt
to paint Obama's refinements as reversals is poppycock. Rubin should
know better, and she should acknowledge an equality of problems for
both major presidential candidates.

Ben Burrows
406 Shoemaker Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
215-266-2029