I'm glad there's at least somebody out there willing to puncture the balloon of laudatory press coverage that Senator Obama is receiving on this trip of his:
" The mix of policy and political advisers reflects the split dimension of the senator’s tour through Europe and the Middle East: Even as his closest aides insist that the trip is a fact-finding and relationship building mission, Obama’s every step is being intricately managed to maximize political advantage. From the saturated media coverage to the one-on-one meetings with heads of state, the trip already had a White House feel. The scope of the traveling staff simply adds to an aura of a president-in-waiting. On Tuesday, aides attempted to invoke White House rules and traditions by requiring reporters to withhold the names of senior advisers who brief the press. But they were reminded twice by reporters that they were not in the White House and Obama was not president."
Premature overconfidence can lead to trouble later. Fame is fleeting.
And don't, conservatives, listen to those who claim that the Iraq debate is over because Obama has changed the subject to Afghanistan, because he's acknowledged success for the surge and so there's nothing to debate there, etc. The fact remains, Obama opposed the surge. But it worked. He was wrong. And that raises questions about his judgment--questions which will remain.
