But another news item of immense import surfaced today as well: the agreement by the Iraqi and American governments on a deadline for the withdrawal of most U.S. troops by 2011.

Now, aside from the groundbreaking nature of this agreement, I would like to suggest a possible impact on the presidential election.

Given that a large part of the campaign (aside from the economy) is centered around foreign policy (especially Iraq, Afghanistan and, more recently, Georgia), does this agreement not, in some respects, take the issue of when to bring the troops home off the table?

And, if so, does that not hurt Obama more than McCain? As it is, Obama has been able to hammer McCain on his judgment in sending troops to Iraq (while Obama opposed it in the first place) and his (out of context) comment about remaining in Iraq for a hundred years. By losing this as an issue, Obama loses one of his most effective talking points and the motivation for some of his supporters to work so diligently for the campaign.

Hopefully, I am overestimating the impact this agreement will have on the campaign, but it should be interesting to watch unfold.

For the conspiracy theorists out there: Does this also not smack of a President Bush playing politics with the war?

Saturday night, Tim Mahoney and [Speaker of the House Tom Craddick crony] Harrison Keller qualified for a runoff election in the race for Austin Community College Board of Trustees, with the former getting 48.5% of the vote and the latter taking 33%. Today, Keller decided to withdraw . . .

His explanation?

I have learned that the cost of the upcoming runoff for Place 1 on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees could cost the college up to $400,000. Given that I joined this race to expand educational opportunities for our community and to make sure that taxpayers’ money is spent as efficiently and effectively as possible, I think this money would be better spent on ACC’s educational programs.

And:

. . . I have decided to withdraw from the runoff election and to donate the balance of my campaign funds to the Austin Community College Foundation.

For a Republican crony who stands by the side of wannabe-emperor Tom Craddick, that’s a pretty upstanding thing to do — acting on your principles. If only we could convince Hillary to do the same. [Chronic]

Hamas, on the State Department Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization list, has all but endorsed Senator Obama . . .

–The Tank, a National Review Online blog

Well, we knew this would come around sooner or later. The primary isn’t even over yet! Can’t these Hamas guys at least hold out until the convention, like Hillary’s doing?

But, seriously, this is the first Republican “terrorists-support-the-Democrats” attack I’ve seen from a prominent conservative blog and magazine this election (which isn’t to say there haven’t been more).

It reminds me of that quote from Kurt von Hammerstein:

I divide officers into four classes — the clever, the lazy, the stupid and the industrious. Each officer possesses at least two of these qualities. Those who are clever and industrious are fitted for the highest staff appointments. Use can be made of those who are stupid and lazy. The man who is clever and lazy is fit for the very highest command. He has the temperament and the requisite nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is stupid and industrious must be removed immediately.

I once thought Bush fit in the clever and lazy category which is good for a President. After a while it became clear that stupid and lazy was closer to the mark which is a bad thing but not the worst. But it’s clear that around him are serried ranks of the stupid and industrious and the sooner the whole lot are gone the better. Is this the worst, most willfully blind wartime leadership in American history? I think it is.

[Hotel Tango: Kings of War]

Several hundred U.S. diplomats vented anger and frustration Wednesday about the State Department’s decision to force foreign service officers to take jobs in Iraq, with some likening it to a “potential death sentence.”

Oh, boo-fucking-hoo. Half the problem in Iraq is the fact that we’re asking military personnel to perform the jobs of other government agencies — the State Department, USAID, et cetera. The armed forces aren’t built for diplomacy, nation-building and extensive public affairs — they’re built for fighting and winning wars. So stop your crying and pack your gear, bitches.

And death sentence? Talk to a military member recently? At least you bastards get to stay inside the wire most of the time.

“It’s one thing if someone believes in what’s going on over there and volunteers, but it’s another thing to send someone over there on a forced assignment,” [Jack Crotty, a senior foreign service officer who once worked as a political adviser with NATO forces,] said. “I’m sorry, but basically that’s a potential death sentence and you know it. Who will raise our children if we are dead or seriously wounded?”

You know, you signed up to serve your country. Feel free to resign. I bet you like the benefits, though, don’t you. The benefits of traveling around the world for free, getting great government wages, free health care, and on and on and on.

I seem to remember telling the FSOs who interviewed me during my attempt at the entrance exam that I was there to serve my country. In fact, that’s the thing — you serve the interests of your country; not yourself. Just because you “don’t believe in it” doesn’t mean you get out of it. Just like our soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines. And who takes care of their kids? Whiny bastards, all of you.

American Foreign Service Association President John Naland said that a recent survey found that only 12 percent of the union’s membership believed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was “fighting for them.”

“That’s their right but they’re wrong,” [Foreign Service Director General Harry Thomas] said, prompting a testy exchange.

“Sometimes if it’s 88 to 12, maybe the 88 percent are correct,” Naland said.

“88 percent of the country believed in slavery at one time, was that correct?” shot back Thomas, who is black, in a remark that drew boos from the crowd. “Don’t you or anybody else stand there and tell me I don’t care about my colleagues. I am insulted,” he added.

Ooooooh, burn!

Guess what? The State Department isn’t a democracy. Put up or shut up.

Ugh. This shit pisses me off. Do your job, State. Not everything is the military’s responsibility. When State finally starts doing something right, their FSOs cry like little babies. Get. Over. It. Or. Get. Out.

UPDATE 05 NOV 2007 1411: A couple of other folks have picked up on this story and agree with my sentiments. I’m sure there are a helluva lot more where those came from.

Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has accused Britain of not doing enough to fight international terrorism, which he says could take 20 or 30 years to beat.

[Hotel Tango: Foreign Policy Passport]

I sincerely hope they didn’t hand over millions of dollars to a marketing/design firm to develop that.