I found myself stopped by the light at the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Ventura.  On the right hand corner was a small but vocal group of anti Iraq war protesters, across five lanes of traffic on the left hand corner was an even smaller but equally vocal group of protesters with signs recounting how many schools and hospitals had been reopened in Iraq since the infamous days of "shock and awe" and the proclamation of "mission accomplished."  I'm not going to label the group on the left hand corner as pro-war advocates since I didn't see any signs advocating death or repression or torture.

When the light turned to allow the traffic to flow by the anti-Iraq war protesters, a small frenzy of horns honked their support; when the light turned to allow the traffic to flow by those pointing out what they considered to be progress in the war, a much smaller but equally frenzied sound of horns erupted.  For me, therein lies the problem that any candidate for President faces the morning after the election.

Eighteen months ago I woke up in  England the day after the off year elections in the United States.  When I finally found a paper and realized the full extend of the Democratic victory - including Rumsfield's resignation - I was jubilant, and evidenced by the articles in many of the papers, so was a large part of the British population.  Sadly, here we are 500 days and hundreds of American deaths and thousands of Iraqi deaths later, still in Iraq.  How is it that a stupid and delusional man has managed to outwit the majority party? 

Part of the answer lies in the fact that there is no draft, since I have a son of draftable age that makes me exceedingly happy; it also makes it far easier for me to think I've done my part when I stand up as the names of the dead are read at the end of Newshour.  And let us not forget that there is a mortgage crisis going on, nothing makes people forget death half way around the world like the home values falling in their neighborhoods; and then there is the surge: for quite a few months fewer dead and the sight of safer Iraqi marketplaces have allowed us to believe that the center may have held.  I also believe that there are a great many people of good conscience who want the United States out of Iraq who also feel that we owe something to the people of Iraq.  I'm not talking about the "you broke it, your bought it" mentality but I also didn't buy the "it's your war now, deal with it" t-shirt.  Actually, I hate any t-shirt or bumper sticker that thinks an issue that has cost thousands of lives and maimed ten times that many can be reduced to a self-righteous slogan.

I do not want one more American soldier to give his/her life, limbs or mental well being in W's war but I also don't want to see the deaths of Iraqis who have put themselves in danger to support our soldiers.  I do not think that it diminishes the honor of any soldier who gave her/his life, if the troops come home tomorrow.  The honor lies in the willingness to sacrifice not in the ultimate victory.  Our national honor has undoubtedly been tarnished by W and his merry band of warmongers but his actions do not tarnish those who have served.  While it can only do our nation good to extricate itself from the thought processes of this chain of fools, we must guard against making yet another set of terrorists by deserting those who trusted us.

Some bloggers have written that one of the reasons Samantha Power left the Obama campaign so quickly after her "monster" comment is that the Obama-ites wanted to deflect attention from her far more interesting - and potentially damaging - statements about what Senator Obama would do in Iraq were he elected.  Said Ms. Power, "You can’t make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January of 2009.  He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he’s crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator."  Now, I'm not an Obama supporter and I'm not too fond of Ms. Power but it seems to me that these remarks are true for all of the candidates.  No woman, no man, no party knows what will be happening in Iraq come January 2009.

It is going to take more than a nebulous feeling that "it's time to go" to get us out of Iraq.  We need a leader and a party that can craft a Solomon like policy to protect both our troops and our national interest while also supporting those who have put themselves on the line at our behest.  I do not think that Solomonic wisdom is embodied in a bill that cuts off funds to troops in harm's way; neither do I think it is grounded in continuing a surge that is largely propelled by paying militias to either take up arms or lay down arms and dependent upon the acquiescence of clerics.  To pursue either policy is to lay the ground work for another four years of political debate while a military whose makeup does not reflect our country gives thousands more lives. 

Let us not fool ourselves again into believing that an election day is an exit strategy.