Maybe this is what they teach diplomats as their “diplomatic presence.” Never, never look ‘em in the eye. Don’t sit up straight in your chair and engage them confidently and with a pleasant conviction. Every one of the senators I heard speak delivered their address with conviction and confidence. It made Crocker look like a school boy trying to explain his tardiness… again… even when answering Republicans!

Rich Moran left out the incredibly embarrasing gaffe Ted Kennedy made referring to the “Sunni’s in Basra” in the last uprising. Uh?… these were Shiites Ted. And McCain was making the comparison that Al Quaeda wasn’t (like) an inconsequential Shia sect found fighting alongside Sadr’s militia in Basra (the context). He could have stated it differently but I’m not sure he was calling Sunni’s Shia’s again. Poor Ted about spun a bearing trying to recover from his blunder.

I think this statement was later clarified when Obama suggested that lowering the bar in defining what a successful resolution to Iraq should be .. maintaining the current status quo. It was quite amusing to watch Obama attempt to get Petraeus and Crocker to agree with him that leaving Iraq as “messy” could be defined as a successful resolution.

I just wish they would have had the camera on Boxer when Obama said that if Iraq was talking to Iran, then we should be talking to them too, especially since he used her triad about A-jad being welcomed with a kiss on the cheek by Maliki.

But Obama seemed skeptical about the involvement of Iran in forming its own “Special Groups” and militias.

That was only because if he accepts the facts put in front of him as to Iran’s involvement in killing Americans in Iraq, he can’t rightly justify sitting down and having a chat with them as the POTUS, so he has to deny the evidence because it conflicts with one of his campaign platform issues.

Just a little editing note … however, I do understand the similarities between the two public servants.. *wink*