BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday said the United States will not be successful in Iraq unless the political landscape better represents the country's minorities.
Obama, the nation's only black senator, met with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Saturday. . . .
Talabani predicted Saturday that a new government could be formed within weeks and said the country's main political groups had agreed in principle on a national unity coalition that would include the country's majority Shiites and minority Kurds and Sunni Arabs.
Obama said he was confident a new government could be formed but was skeptical of Talabani's time frame.
"My suspicion is it's going to take a little longer than that," he said. "Creating not just a majority government but a government that actually incorporates in a meaningful way Sunni interests may take a little longer."
I'm not exactly sure what Senator Obama is trying to tell the Iraqis here. The people have voted. The leaders they have chosen will rule. For better or worse, that's how democracy works. Is Obama suggesting some sort of racial quotas for elected officials? Because that seems a little silly. As Vinnie as The Jawa Report put it: "...the last thing a fledgling democracy needs is exported American liberal stupidity like affirmative action."
What is more interesting, though, is Obama's skepticism at the timeframe for forming a government suggested by Talabani. He thinks that "weeks" isn't enough time, but six months is far too long:
"What I'm fully convinced of is if we don't see signs of political progress ... over a relatively short time frame - let's say six months or so - we can pour money and troops in here till the cows come home, but we won't be successful," said Obama, D-Ill., who said he opposed the war before it began.
What a thing to say in a country where American troops are fighting alongside local citizens to push back the oppression of extremism and establish a free and democratic society. How do you think the Iraqis feel when they hear that? Heck, how do you think the terrorists felt? When visiting American dignataries say that the mission for freedom and democracy in Iraq will be a lost cause if it isn't accomplished in six months you can bet that terror leaders are turning around and telling their followers that "six more months is all we need."
Obama's defeatism is going to fire the terrorists up. It'll get them motivated to cause more trouble, and that's probably going to cost some American and Iraqi lives.
All so a Democrat can get a dig in at President Bush.
But don't you dare question Obama's patriotism:
The senator, who was elected last year, has criticized the Bush administration for questioning the patriotism of people who speak out against the war.
Right. Because real patriots don't express concern over foreign policy in the halls of Congress. Nope. Real patriots walk onto the battlefield and tell the people we're fighting with that if things don't shape up soon we're going to leave them twisting in the wind.