Obama Beefs Up Foreign Policy Cred in Iraq

Presidential candidate Barack Obama's weeklong tour of seven countries has so far been fruitful, politically agile, and especially lucky, reports the New York Times. The Illinois senator's withdrawal plan received a timely endorsement from Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki, coinciding with President Bush's embrace of a "time horizon" for pulling troops out of the war-torn country.

Obama completed the riskiest part of his global expedition today in Iraq, and it is clear his trip is successfully bolstering his image as a potential world leader. Meanwhile, Republican candidate John McCain is on the defensive, reiterating his stance on removing combat soldiers from Iraq by the end of his first term and attacking Obama on not supporting the troop surge. (More Iraq stories.)