I can't figure out why the media, including Fox News, do not point out to Obama that a 16 month withdrawal plan from next January is not the same as a 16 month withdrawal plan when he proposed it in early 2007. (The media also do not point out that the "surge" Obama said would fail has, in fact, succeeded. He was flat wrong.) If the US had started Obama's withdrawal plan 16 months ago we would have lost the war rather than winning it. (This is because it would require an immediate drawdown to get out in an orderly retreat of 16 months, assuming we didn't want to leave our equipment behind; something some liberals actually advocated.) The liberals wanted that outcome, but I think (or at least hoped) that most Americans wanted victory. Here is a view of the situation from A. J. Strata:

Victory In Iraq Is Here - Yet Obama And Surrendercrats Still Crave Defeat Against al-Qaeda

Published by AJStrata at 9:31 am under 2008 Elections, All General Discussions, Iraq, Sadr/Mahdi Army

Senator Obama’s position on The Surge in Iraq is quite a stunning one. Even with victory at hand he stands by a failed plan for surrender and defeat to al-Qaeda. Even with the SurrenderMedia finally admitting Iraq is on the path to victory, Obama has decided he still thinks defeat at the hand of al-Qaeda was the better option!?

Why? What possible benefit could America derive from entering a war in Iraq against terrorism and losing? What is better than having those terrorists flood all their forces into Iraq - diverting them from Western targets - only to be decimated, while the Iraq Muslim street determines the future of Islam is not following al-Qaeda but working within the international community and dealing with the US of A as an ally? What would have been the upside to losing Iraq, to losing our new Muslim allies, of supporting the idea al-Qaeda is the future for Islam in a clash of civilizations that could spread across the globe? What would defeat in Iraq provide us?

The only upside I can see is to imbibe a modicum of credibility upon a group of petty and angry liberals who would tip the world into years of war just to get some political pay-back on George W Bush. Appeasing the emotionally stunted victims of Bush Derangement Syndrome (BDS) is probably the worst reason man has ever created to go to war.

Let me violate my ban on AP for one instance so we can savor the SurrenderMedia finally admitting that Iraq is being won, if not already won:

The United States is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost.
Limited, sometimes sharp fighting and periodic terrorist bombings in Iraq are likely to continue, possibly for years. But the Iraqi government and the U.S. now are able to shift focus from mainly combat to mainly building the fragile beginnings of peace — a transition that many found almost unthinkable as recently as one year ago.

Despite the occasional bursts of violence, Iraq has reached the point where the insurgents, who once controlled whole cities, no longer have the clout to threaten the viability of the central government.

Emphasis mine. The potential for success was only unthinkable to those emotionally committed to the idea Bush could never be right, Bush could never turn things around, that Muslims would rather be slaughtered and tortured by al-Qaeda than ally with America. Only someone who craved defeat as a beautiful confirmation of their own warped views would so completely ignore the potential for success.

Why? Because one short year ago the Anbar model had been proven successful. Last year was the transition from a localized experiment in counter-insurgency tactics to a nationwide strategy aimed at rolling back the terrorists across the entire country. Which leads me to one last story on how much things have changed, which begs the question of why the left cannot let go of their mistaken desires. This story from the NY Times discusses how completely the Shiite communities have also discarded violence and extremism - showing that both the Sunni and Shiia factions of Islam are not as the SurrenderMedia proclaimed:

The militia that was once the biggest defender of poor Shiites in Iraq, the Mahdi Army, has been profoundly weakened in a number of neighborhoods across Baghdad, in an important, if tentative, milestone for stability in Iraq.

It is a remarkable change from years past, when the militia, led by the anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr, controlled a broad swath of Baghdad, including local governments and police forces. But its use of extortion and violence began alienating much of the Shiite population to the point that many quietly supported American military sweeps against the group.

This is the essence of the denial that still infects Obama and the Surrendercrat power brokers. They cannot understand how Muslims could ever turn to America instead of rising up in support of al-Qaeda and Mahdi thugs. That was THEIR horribly wrong assumption. That was THEIR disastrous mistake in judgement. That was why THEY still crave defeat and find themselves alone and looking quite foolish as they stand by their hopes for American defeat in Iraq. They couldn’t see why America could, once again, be the beacon of hope and promise for a people ravaged by the hate of a few extremists.

I have a theory that the GOP and far right began to resemble the fanatical nature of the Islamo Fascists, and that is how they lost support in 2006. They are not identical by any means, but the overheated, religious based bashing of one time moderate conservative allies was too similar, even at that distance, to our radical national enemy. Too many wanted a war on Islam, not a war on Islamo Fascists.

Now the Surrendercrats are looking to be the extremists. To hold onto political animosity to the point war and the potential for massive defeat seem like a reasonable option again raises the specter of radical terrorists. I said a long time ago this was an untenable and unforgiving position to be in. If victory came the Surrendercrats would be decimated. It has come, and there is only one conclusion America can draw from their continued embrace to a now proven horrible plan. McCain is right, too many would accept war to win an election. Thankfully, America is not radical, and actually is repulsed by them. What hit the GOP in 2006 is now about ready to swing against the Surrendercrats in 2008.

There comes a tipping point where obstinate views transform into dangerous, radical ideology. Clearly Obama and the Surrendercrats have passed this point, and there is no return unless they accept their views were wrong. This will not be happening.

Addendum: I meant to underscore how insane this all is by an analogy to the last time the world faced down a fascist cult. This regret at success in Iraq would be like someone claiming in 1945, after the invasion of Europe by allied forces had freed most of Europe and Hitler was hunkered down in his bunker in Berlin, that the invasion of Europe was not worth the price paid. It would be like preferring a Europe in the grip of fascist madmen than being on the brink of freedom. Everyone could see the invasion at Normandy cost America and the allies immense costs in blood and treasure. And the Western economies and people were under severe economic stress. But it was worth price then, and it is more than worth the price now. This time we stopped the fascist cult before it became so strong the price was millions of dead and injured. And those who cannot see this are themselves in the throws of cult-think.