Barack Obama Will End Iraq War in 16 Months

Continuing to turn up the heat on front-runner Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) today vowed to end the war in Iraq in 16 months if he's elected.

Obama told a crowd in New Hamphire that he would "refocus the military on the fight with al-Qaeda and engage in diplomacy with enemies of the United States." according to the Union Leader newspaper. "Not only do I want to end the war in Iraq, I want to end the mindset that got us there," the paper quotes Obama as saying.

Will this open Obama to criticism that he's calling for military to "cut and run?" Probably.

But the Illinois Democrat had little choice. As the New Hampshire Primary and Iowa Caucuses approach, he needs to differentiate himself from the rest of the crowded field. The problem Obama has is that he's still too nice to Clinton and rival John Edwards. Indeed, the paper quotes him as saying, "Despite the egging on of the national press, I'm not interested in kneecapping Hillary Clinton."

Obama doesn't have to go the Tonya Harding route but he needs to clearly and articulately tell voters why they should vote for him. Otherwise, his campaign will quickly evaporate after the early primaries.