The fact that this war is/was elective all along, and continues to be a drain on this country, the military, the taxpayer, the soldiers, the families, et al, I think Obama has a sensible outlook on things, frankly. Why would he spend extra time in a country, speaking to mouthpieces for this administration, who are going to paint the best possible picture - no matter what - to reflect the views of this administration? Why would Obama expect to hear anything out of Petraeus (until he gets out of active duty, that is, and we probably learn a different picture, like most of the former commanders on the ground) other than the party line? Petraeus, and other leaders on the ground are working directly for the President - the commander in chief of the forces...what would ANYONE expect to hear other than what they are told to say?
Wayne, you allow that the decision to attack Iraq and occupy it is an arguable one. You yourself can allow that there are other viewpoints on that. Of course there has to be other allowable viewpoints on how best to proceed from here. We hear every day, different comments from the field, successes, the surge is/has worked, the Iraqi forces are taking a more active role, the administration and leaders are maintaining immediate step up in those people taking over, etc. So, there can be other viewpoints - based on those talking points - that have value. It certainly doesn't have to be labeled a loss, a retreat, cutting and running, ANYTHING like that, unless you want to admit a loser attitude and project that to the world. It's an attitude of fearmongering, and obliviousness to what is going on in the world and especially at home.
The U.S. currently has the largest multi-million/billion dollar embassy in the world there in Iraq, and always will. We have established the second largest airfield/airbase in the entire world, for our troops and personnel there. We have set up shop in Iraq to establish and maintain a permanent place and leadership/defense role in that country that anyone in their right mind will know that we will actively protect and maintain while life as we know it exists. And if anything ever happened to any of those things, we all know what this country would do in response. We could mobilize and crush any scattered threats within a matter of hours - and most likely with the troops and firepower that will certainly remain long after whatever this thing is we are engaged in. But if not, we all know what our military can accomplish in a day or two.
It remains the talking points and the attitude of conservatives and some republicans (a reduced number, of course, than before) that we only stand to lose and retreat if we take sensible action to reduce numbers in Iraq - which is what the plan was supposed to be all along, and a lot sooner than this. Due to this administration and what it has established in Iraq, we will always have to take care of our interests there, and we of course will. No matter who is in charge. We will never withdraw from that country, we will never lose that country to another country (unless we see a rise in power from other superpowers and another world war scenario), and we simply won't lose that fight. To explain it otherwise, would be bad communicating, political posturing, and commentary of fear/loathing.
