'First Mistake of Obama's Trip'

The McCain campaign released a memo today regarding what it considers the first mistake of Barack Obama's overseas trip.

We have a lot of work to do. It's a very hard struggle, particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border.

Wait, sorry, that's not it. That was McCain on Good Morning, America, right before he called for more military aid from Czechoslovakia, and predicted a World Series victory for the St. Louis Browns.

Ahh, here's Obama's monumental blunder:

"...Barack Obama made the first mistake of his trip, in my judgment, in releasing a statement in which he said exactly what Maliki had said in those conversations. We have a long tradition in this country that we only have one president at a time. He's the commander in chief and the negotiator in chief. I cannot remember a campaign which a rival seeking the presidency has been in a position negotiating a war that's under way with another party outside the country." -- David Gergen

Wow, that's devastating. Barack Obama is acting too much like a President! Even if it were true, why would you want to call attention to it, and to the fact that Obama has made no other mistakes on his trip? "Alex Rodriquez really blew it, his 3rd home run of the game was to right field!"

As it turns out, Gergen's logic is faulty, his facts are wrong, and he ends up praising Obama with faint damnation.

Here's the statement to which Gergen refers:

"Third, Iraqis want an aspirational timeline, with a clear date, for the redeployment of American combat forces. Prime Minister Maliki told us that while the Iraqi people deeply appreciate the sacrifices of American soldiers, they do not want an open-ended presence of U.S. combat forces. The Prime Minister said that now is an appropriate time to start to plan for the reorganization of our troops in Iraq -- including their numbers and missions. He stated his hope that U.S. combat forces could be out of Iraq in 2010." ("Statement of Senators Obama, Reed, And Hagel on Trip to Iraq," Press Release, 7/21/08)

So, the statement was not Obama's, but was from the entire delegation. Is Chuck Hagel overreaching, too? Are they angling for some kind of rotating presidency, like Vincent D'Onofrio and Chris Noth on Law & Order: Criminal Intent?

Of course, Gergen has a point. Obama, Reed, and Hagel should not have revealed what was said in that top-secret, hush-hush meeting. They should have let everyone read it in an email from the White House.

I can't wait for the McCain campaign's next email, "Barack Obama's Half-Windsor is Not Tied Properly."