There was a striking moment just now on an Obama campaign conference call with reporters: Top Obama supporter Joe Biden said that all the military commanders he talks to privately say they want Barack Obama to make the trip to Iraq that's been ridiculed by the McCain camp.
"One thing I can tell you for certain from recent trips is commanders in the field...all want to see Barack Obama," Biden said, in a reference to Obama's planned trip.
"They know the policy that's being pursued now is one that baffles them," Biden said, stressing that the commanders know, as Obama does, that current troop levels in Iraq can't be sustained and that more resources need to be freed up for Afghanistan.
Biden also came very close to suggesting that the commanders were not favorably disposed towards McCain: "They don't get this administration and they surely don't get John McCain right now."
Biden stressed that he was not speaking for the Obama campaign when he said this.
In another interesting moment, Biden predicted that Obama's planned trip to Iraq and Afghanistan will be a big political success in that it will give the commanders a chance to assess their would-be future commander in chief -- and that they would like who they were seeing.
"They're going to see a man, when they see him, of real strength," Biden said. "They're going to see a man who emanates, who radiates from him conviction and strength, and that this is a solid, solid, solid guy."
It's a striking image indeed. We'll see what happens.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/joe_biden_military_commanders.php