'Foolish Consistency' Mars Obama Iraq Plan

The editors of the Washington Post are rankled that Barack Obama has the same position on exiting Iraq now—“with bloodshed at its lowest level since the war began”—as he did a year ago, “at the war’s peak.” His "iron timetable" of a 16-month withdrawal, seemingly "indifferent to the war's outcome," is short-sighted and does not serve America's interests.

The editors agree with John McCain that Obama shouldn’t have locked in his position before his trip abroad to speak with the generals in Iraq. "Whether or not the war was a mistake, Iraq's future is a vital US security interest," says the editorial. "If he is elected president, Mr. Obama sooner or later will have to tailor his Iraq strategy to that reality."