Single issue politics is a destructive force; and those driven by it may achieve a Pyrric victory. Senator Clinton has been heavily criticized for not apologizing for her Iraq war vote, but this should not drive the debate. These are serious times, and we require serious debates and serious candidates. Senator Obama has the luxury of having been against the war from the beginning, but his opinion came from the "cheap seats" of the Illinois State Senate, and one wonders if he would have voted against it if he had the burden of being in the US Senate at the time.

That said, we all accept that the initiation and execution of this war has been a disaster fromt he beginning. But I have no doubt that Senator Clinton, as President, would extricate us from this war as quickly and effectively as Senator Obama.

On WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show this morning, Rep John Murtha confirmed his endorsement of Council Member Yvette Clarke for Brooklyn's 11th Congressional District, and withstood a surprise attack [via phone] from his colleague, Rep Major Owens.

Owens took issue with Murtha's unannounced visit to his district - calling it a "breach in protocol" - and questioned whether Murtha's co-conspirator Rep Anthony Weiner even held a similar position [to Murtha, Clarke and Chris Owens] on the Iraq War.

Murtha defended Weiner who had signed on to Murtha's troop redeployment resolution.

Update: Weiner's office further clarifies the point:

"Jack Murtha is right. Our troops have become targets and occupiers rather than peacekeepers and nation builders. We honor them by redeploying them and taking them out of the middle of an escalating civil conflict. The primary burden for getting Iraq on its feet now lies with the Iraqi's. That's why on day one I was a cosponsor of Rep. Murtha's resolution calling for a change in direction in Iraq."

Audio of the interview now available, here.

The very day President Bush declared the Iraqi Mission Accomplished, 1st Lieutenant Paul Rieckhoff started "Chasing Ghosts" in one of central Baghdad's most volatile and dangerous neighborhoods.

On that day, and for the following 10 months, Rieckhoff led a Platoon of 38 soldiers through 1,000+ mounted and dismounted combat patrols.  Eventually, his would be the first reserve component unit in the Army to be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge since the Korean War.  All thirty-eight of his men returned home alive; and so did Rieckhoff's fiercely independent desire to connect policy failures in Washington with events on the ground in Iraq.

I recently interviewed Rieckhoff, no holds barred.  He left no Party or New York elected official behind.