Birds of a Feather - Maliki, Obama

It is being reported that the Prime Minister of Iraq has endorsed Barack Obama's 16 month plan for withdrawing U.S. troops. This is amusing for several reasons.

First, Barack abandoned his 16 month plan this week (I can't believe I'm explaining this again.)

Second, Maliki's supposed endorsement consists of this:

“U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months,” Mr. Maliki said, according to the magazine’s online English edition. “That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes.”

John McCain has also talked about target dates for removal of U.S. troops, but that's his expected date for winning and withdrawing, something that's totally different than Barack's old plan of pulling out without regard for realities on the ground.

But it could be that Maliki is being as manipulative on the matter as Barack is. Barack has betrayed those who launched him to the nomination based on his claim of being a peace-nik by 1) abandoning his anti-war stance in Iraq and, 2) compensating for his image of being anti-war in Iraq by being pro-war in Afghanistan.

Maliki has to look tough against the U.S. because he has elections coming in his country, and the success of the surge has Iraqi's thinking it may be time for the U.S. to leave.

Then again, Maliki says he didn't mean what's being reported.

A spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister has issued a statement saying his remarks were “misunderstood and mistranslated,” but did not address a specific error.