Obama Moves Left?

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has introduced legislation calling for total withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by March 2008. In doing so, he has moved to the left of Hillary, who has advocated withdrawal but refuses to commit to a specific deadline. The key question for the Democratic nomination is whether Obama will join Edwards on the left or Hillary on the right in approaching the war in Iraq.

The litmus test is likely to come after Congress passes a resolution disapproving of Bush’s troop surge and after Bush sends the troops in anyway. At that point liberals like Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) are likely to push for a funding cutoff on the additional troops. Hillary has said she would vote against the cutoff, and Edwards can be counted upon to advocate it. If Obama sides with Edwards he will have a real chance at the nomination, but if he sides with Hillary he probably will count himself out. According to the Fox News poll, Democrats favor a cutoff of all funding for the war by 58 to 33. Support for a cutoff of funding of the Bush troop surge is likely to be even higher. The question for Obama is: Does he join the 58s or the 33s?

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