Gotta' love Chuck! Here he is making the point that the trip so far is a huge win for Obama, and that even in his "CENTCOM clarification" Maliki used the word "timetable," reinforcing Obama's message on ending the war. According to Todd, this all points to the economy returning as the central issue of the campaign.
Link: YouTube
Transcript:
MR. TODD: Republicans are panicked about this trip because they think that this is going to be a home run. And arguably, you've got some Obama folks who actually think he ought to come home right now. It's never going to get as good as it's gotten in the last 48 hours. You've got McCain suddenly in the White House parroting what Obama has been saying in Afghanistan. The McCain folks will say, "Hey, we're not parroting. We've been there before." But they clearly caught McCain flat-footed there. And then what Maliki did, even in the backtrack statement that the spokes--the government spokesperson over there said, he threw in the word "timetable."
MR. GREGORY: Yeah.
MR. TODD: He's used not just "time is right," but he...
MR. GREGORY: Right...
MR. TODD: ...threw in the word "timetable," which is--the Obama campaign said, you know, that, that--"Thank you for that release."
MR. GREGORY: It is important, though, McCain and the president will argue, if not for the surge, there--you would have never been at a point where you could have...
MR. TODD: That's a big shock [Jedit: he actually said bank shot]...
MR. GREGORY: ...this sort of parity between Obama and the Iraqis.
MR. TODD: That's a big shock [Jedit: he actually said bank shot] for Joe Voter, though.
MR. BROKAW: Yeah.
MR. TODD: Joe Voter in Rolla, Missouri, is sitting there going, "You know, I really would like to get out of Iraq. Oh, and hey, Iraq wants us out."
MR. GREGORY: Yeah.
MR. TODD: "Let's go."
MR. BROKAW: But is Iraq going to be the fault line in the fall, or is it going to remain the economy, Chuck?
MR. TODD: I think it absolutely remains the economy, and I think it's possible we will see how both candidates use their vice presidential choices to make that emphasis.
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