Obama 'Encouraged' By Drop in Iraq Violence, Fails to Notice Surge in Chicago Violence

He's encouraged.

But still wants to cut and run. Maybe he can redeploy the troops to Chicago.

U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Monday he was encouraged by a reduction in violence in Iraq but underlined his support for a pullout of U.S. troops.

Obama, who secured the Democratic party nomination earlier this month and will run in November against Republican John McCain, said he spoke about improved security conditions in Iraq during a telephone conversation with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari.

"I emphasized to him how encouraged I was by the reductions in violence in Iraq but also insisted that it is important for us to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops, making it clear that we have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq," Obama told reporters at the airport in Flint, where he had just arrived for an event on the economy.

He just doesn't get it.

Obama says he would begin a pullout of U.S. troops from Iraq shortly after taking office. His plan calls for the removal of one or two brigades a month which would allow a pullout of combat troops to be completed within 16 months.

No indication, of course, what happen if that very vague plan doesn't work. Nor, it seems, is there any interest by the slavishly sycophantic media to find out.

I'll go out on a limb and suggest Zebari isn't encouraged by Obama's position.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday his country still needs American troops to help secure progress achieved as a result of what he called a successful U.S. surge strategy.

"We need this continued support of the U.S. forces, of the multinational forces, because the gains we have gained, both security, military economic are still vulnerable," he told CNN's Late Edition, weighing into a major issue in the U.S. presidential campaign.

The surge of U.S. troops since 2007 -- currently there are around 150,000 in Iraq -- had dramatically curbed violence. Improved training of Iraqi forces would reduce Baghdad's dependence on foreign troops and eventually enable withdrawals, said Zebari.

"But this is a process. I think we are not there yet," he said in Washington.

Are those bus tire tracks on on Zebari?

Along these lines, Ed Morrissey notes that even the Washington Post wonders why Democrats aren't exactly enthusiastic about working with the Maliki government.

Meanwhile, Obama was so kind as to throw his cousin under the bus.

Is there anyone he won't sacrifice in his thirst for change?

Update: The good news keeps coming. Gateway Pundit notes Bush has announced a 30,000 man reduction by July, which oddly enough isn't being reported much. Obama can pass wind and it's banner coverage. Ace captures the moment.

That's rich. The MSM has reduced its coverage of the war by ninety-two percent over the past year, conveniently since the US has been winning the war, and AP blames the lack of public attention on the public itself. As if the public sent a petition to the AP telling them "please embargo all information about any American/coalition victories in Iraq, we'd just really rather not know. Oh, PS, more Haditha and Abu Ghraib, yes please!"

In related news, OJ Simpson wonders why Niccole Brown never calls him anymore.