The Democrats and "The politics of Iraq"

Today's New York Times dutifully reports that the Democratic candidates for President, given recent "security improvements" in Iraq, have decided to move beyond Iraq as a political talking point. Acknowledging (and not, it appears, questioning) the "successes" generated by the Bush administration's troop surge, the Democrats have decided to focus on domestic matters that weigh heavily on the American electorate.

This article indeed provides a sense of Democratic (cop-out) sentiment these days, moving from Hillary Clinton's praise of US troops and their ability to accomplish any task put in front of them, no matter how nefarious, misguided, or illegal; to Barack Obama, who simultaneously harps on about the price of oil and speaks of an invasion of Iran; to the Democrats' recent move to enlist Ricardo Sanchez in their efforts to continue blaming Iraqi politicians for the results of the war.