What the Candidates Will Do in Iraq: Special 5th Anniversary Edition

Nick Gillespie | March 19, 2008

From ABC News comes a summary of what Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) pledge to do in Iraq if elected president.

The short versions:

McCain: "emphasize his commitment to keeping U.S. troops in the country to secure it."

Obama: "go beyond his plan to pull troops out of Iraq and "outline a strategic vision for our country" to make the United States more secure."

Clinton: "renewed her pledge to begin withdrawing troops within 60 days of becoming president, using her platform to attack both McCain and Obama."

More here.

From surveys collected by the American Enterprise Insititute, a look at current U.S. opinion:

Strong majorities, 59 percent in Gallup's latest survey, say that the war in Iraq was a mistake. Virtually the same percentage of Americans, 60 percent from the same late February 2008 Gallup survey, also say that we should set a timetable for removing troops from Iraq. Policymakers should not jump the gun though. Only a small fraction of Americans—around 20 percent in most polls—support immediate withdrawal.

More here.

Coming later today: reason staffers reflect on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War.