He should go and get the scoop firsthand. Many will consider it a stunt, but it's the right thing to do as future comander-in-chief.

I don't see how going alone isn't a stunt, especially since it's been so long since he's been there and that he's waiting until after he gets the nomination.

It's a shame that he didn't accept McCains offer to go together, I think that would have really been a great way to cross party lines and show unity.

"I don't see how going alone isn't a stunt, especially since it's been so long since he's been there and that he's waiting until after he gets the nomination."

I was just going to write the same thing. The simple fact he says, “I just don’t want to be involved in a political stunt.” Is like giant red flags saying "This is a political stunt".

I find it very arrogant.

I agree Kim. It would've been nice to see the two potential presidents going together. It would be nice to see the leaders cross party lines and show unity. Then maybe congress could get behind the idea.

"so long"...it has only been 2 years. McCain is acting like he has never gone!

McCain had the luxury of being able to wrap up his nomination months ahead of time. To ignore that to score a "point" is just petty, IMO. Let's have a real debate on the issues, not just favoring skewed logic because it benefits whatever candidate we prefer.

Obama had to wait until after the primaries. He has had to work non-stop to introduce himself to our very spread out country. To go from being unknown to being the front runner takes a lot of effort, folks. Let's be realistic.

Well this is just a damned if you do and damned if you don't moment. He will go and soon.

After all the troops do vote by absentee ballot so it will give him the opportunity to get a first hand assessment and campaign.

um, am I in cupcake induced delirium or is he um... approaching hot there? he has been looking cuter every day.

I think that if McCain and Obama went to Iraq together, they would spend more time getting their pictures taken, instead of getting one on one time with the people they need to talk to. I understand that he would want to keep the focus on information gathering. How is that arrogant?

Kris, you just surprised the heck out of me!

It's a nice gesture, nothing more.
On Oct. 2, 2002, Obama predicted that a conflict in Iraq would be "dumb," requiring "a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences."

The 'dumb' is debatable I suppose: but the war undeniably has gone on longer than expected and is anticipated to continue for some time longer (McCain suggests 2013), the cost in casualties and dollars has gone wildly beyond what we were told to expect with no end in sight, and it's not clear what will determine success or when we will be able to withdraw - so, having successfully predicted exactly what did happen, what 'scoop' is Obama going to get from going to Iraq?

I said it's been so long, I say that because that's what I think not because McCain said it and it's what he thinks.

and "only 2 years" is a long time when you want to be Commander in Chief. And certainly he knew he wanted to run for the presidency prior to actually doing it, so you would think he would have done some footwork prior to putting his bid in.

Jillness, I guess I am not immune to charm, even if I don't want to vote for him. I have always had admiration for him and his enthusiasm.

He DID put in his footwork before putting his bid in, hence his trip 2 years ago. He has been campaigning since January 2007, I believe. That requires a lot of work, especially when few people knew who he was in 2007.

Exactly Jillness. If people only knew him and/or heard of him as of 2007 then really how visible was he prior to that?

Obama also said this in his speech before the war:
"I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda."

Which has proven completely true. Hamas, Hezbellah (sp?), Iran, Al Qiada, and the Taliban are all stronger now than they were before the war.

He was visable to the people running the government...he wouldn't have been allowed to travel to Russia and other countries to work on (bi-partisan) Nuclear Non-Proliferation legislation if he didn't impress people with his skills. You don't send the fools to work on important international security.

I agree that Sen. Obama needs to start acting like this is a general elections and tote the line. Criticism will be riding his behind all the way to November and the only way he's going keep in front of it is to cross his T's and dot his I's, think preemptively, and act strategically for the block. There should have been a trip by the Obama campaign to Iraq with in the last six months. He fumbled and allowed criticism to catch him.

It is arrogant because he makes it seem as though he is above everyone political and he is not. By saying he is above the political games, makes him part of them. He is arrogant in my eyes, and unlike Kris, I used to find him much more charming. Now I find him annoying, and am finding myself rolling my eyes a heck of a lot more when reading what he says.

Yes, Cine, that's exactly what I was thinking. He seems very closed minded to anyone that has an idea or opinion different from his own. And that is becoming more apparent to me in more recent events.

"um, am I in cupcake induced delirium or is he um... approaching hot there? he has been looking cuter every day."

Dude, he's totally hot. I say after his 8 years as Commander-in-Chief, he should apply to be a J.Crew model. Just my thoughts...

"It’s been 871 days since he was there."

This just sounds so pathetic coming from a potential President. Give me a break did he have the Olsen legal age countdown on his desktop also? At least when Obama goes AGAIN he'll know the difference between Sunni and Shiite.

Cine & Kim I can respect your take on him but I just find it ironic that a man that his built his strength and position on being bi-partisan and working with conservatives is considered self centered and closed minded.

I'm going to have to go with cine on this one. I think it was arrogant for him to turn down a trip with Sen. McCain. For a man who talks a lot about unity across party lines, he's not making the impression that he's willing to act in that direction. I also agree that I found him much more appealing earlier on in his campaign.

Alright, I have to say it. Obama was NOT unknown before this primary season. He wasn't the early front-runner, but he definitely exploded on to the national scene when Ryan had his big scandal and dropped out of the race. That's when I first remember hearing A LOT about Obama. He was lauded from the start as one of the new "stars" of the Democratic party. And pretty much every Democrat I know has been keeping him in the back of his or her mind ever since.

Anyway, now that I got that off my chest...

I think it would be nice for the two candidates to go together and it has been longer than I would like since Obama went to Iraq. Two years is an extremely long time in a war zone.

He does have a charming sex appeal about him but hot is certainly not the work I would use.

Oops...Lauded from then as as one of the new "stars."

It's arrogant for McCain to say “It’s long overdue. It’s been 871 days since he was there.” Who the hell is he? He went to Baghdad and pulled a stunt photo op in a marketplace that was quickly revealed to be a fraud and he can't keep the names of the sides or the countries straight.

*word I would use.

hots do you really think he has countdowns? I'm sure some eager staffer counted the days and now he knows. Geez.

I completely agree with you too, stephley. Arrogance is never in short supply among politicians.

Hypno (or Jill, or anyone else with info) when has Obama built his strength on being bipartisan? I'm not talking about things he says; I'm talking about his actions. I certainly believe he does what he believes is best from the country, but I wouldn't really say he's bipartisan. (Nor would I necessarily say he's closed-minded, just for the record.)

"He seems very closed minded to anyone that has an idea or opinion different from his own."

HOW can you get this impression from Obama, but not from McCain?? I just don't understand. You don't think calling him "young man" is pretty dismissive and arrogant as well? The tone that McCain has taken has been sooooooo much more arrogant and condisending, IMO, than Obama.

I don't think saying you don't want to be in a stunt is wrong. I should hope he would want to be focused when he would go there, instead of doing parades down the street for the media.

In other news...
I don't know about hot... a man in that pair of jeans can't get considered "hot" in my book. But I can go with "attractive".

I don't see "young man" as a derogatory term, just as I don't see "sweetie" as one. Obama is a young man, especially when someone older than him is saying it.

I use the term 'hot' loosely. I almost never use it based on physical attractiveness alone. I think he's extremely 'charming', like you said, handsome indeed, personality points(including intelligence) are completely off the charts...at least in my book. He also seems genuinely warm and friendly.

All those things constitute as 'hot', as far as I go.

Well that is his whole reputation as a politician lilkimbo. His colleges in the State and Federal Senate have said that of him.

Ew... I'm going to have to disagree with you about "sweetie" not being a condescending term. "Young man" is toeing the line as well.

Personally I find him saying he does not want to be part of a stunt, just that, a stunt.

What has Obama been Conservative on, hypno?

Maybe he should start calling McCain "Old Man"!

In reference to my earlier comment, let's not forget that Obama gave the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Did he have the same name recognition as Hillary say, two years ago? No. Was he unknown? Not by any means.

I don't think you can say that because he doesn't want to travel with McCain that he isn't bi-partisan. McCain is far from moderate, this year especially.

I never really focused on what was bi-partisan (I mostly just focus on what his stance has been, period)....but off the top of my head he worked on bi-partisan efforts for Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Lobby reform, and health care (in the state senate).

I have never heard his colleagues say that, Hypno. I've heard people on both sides of the aisle say he is a respectable, intelligent person, but never that he is bipartisan.

Sure they may have said that about him, but what has he DONE?

I don't find McCain as bad because he does not present himself as better then everyone, and above any games, like Obama does. Obama's political game is pretending he does not have political game.

exactly cine.

Hotstuff, that would be great!

"HOW can you get this impression from Obama, but not from McCain?? I just don't understand. You don't think calling him "young man" is pretty dismissive and arrogant as well? The tone that McCain has taken has been sooooooo much more arrogant and condisending, IMO, than Obama."

I completely agree, Jill. McCain has made many an underhanded comment about Obama.

Also, I believe that if he could get away with it, he'd totally pull the 'race card' but that's extremely difficult to do and it would be dangerous to his campaign so he won't, at least not transparently.

I, for one, think that of the three front-running candidates Obama is the LEAST close-minded. In fact, he is known for being open to the ideas and thoughts of others, appreciative of the input of others. Even without knowing that, I can tell that he is that kind of person.

lilkimbo, I was talking about how well known he was to the average American...the people that vote in primaries and caucuses. Yes, he wasn't completely unknown, but he did not have the name recognition to have a serious shot at the Presidency by far.

He had to work very hard to get his name out there. I just don't think it is accurate at all to suggest that when he announced his bid that even half the country knew who he was.

Calling him "old man" would be rude and disrespectful. calling someone "young man" is not rude and disrespectful, or maybe it's that I'm old and I remember people using the term "young man" as a compliment or a term of endearment.

I guess we're going to have to disagree there, Jillness. Every person who I know (which is obviously by no means half of the country) had at least heard his name by late 2004. If people watch any of the conventions, the keynote speech is usually it. I remember him being all over the news after the 2004 convention.

"I don't find McCain as bad because he does not present himself as better then everyone"

That is hysterical!!!! Have you not been listening to him the past month? The man is out of controll with his condesension, my friend!