From last night’s Special Report with Brit Hume:

—On Iraq—

MORT KONDRACKE: The president ruled out what seemed to be the two key recommendations that are coming from the Iraq Study Group, one is a drawdown of American troops. . . .
And he also has been ruling out direct negotiations with Iran and Syria, which also are part of the recommendations. And he is sticking with Maliki, and the only change, the only thing new that came out of this summit was that we’re going to accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, but even that was pretty indefinite as to how we’re going to do it, how fast it’s going to be done. . . .
MICHAEL BARONE: General Pace, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, has a review being conducted by some high-level and well-thought of military officers of our military course in Iraq.
[An idea] that’s been talked about frequently . . . is embedding more U.S. troops in Iraqi units and not having [them] . . . fenced off in their own units in these well-protected bases.
LIASSON: I think after the Iraq Study Group comes out, you’re going to see some, little bit of movement on either side. I think both sides are looking for a way out of this. It’s not going to be the same positions as you see today.

—On Democratic Candidates in 2008—

BARONE: . . . Democratic voters are interested in how a person can handle the grave responsibilities of protecting Americans in the state of the world that we’re in now. I mean, some of these candidates — or potential candidates, can cite major national security or White House experience.
KONDRACKE: Well, I think, as Michael says, that what you’ve got here is you’ve got a phenom, Obama, who is inexperienced. . . . . And then you’ve got Hillary Clinton who is a kind of a grind, who is, you know, doesn’t excite the same enthusiasm as regarded as a little bit made up, although very intelligent, also capable of working across party lines, a little bit Machiavellian and all that stuff, and tough, and experienced. So that’s the choice. Frankly, in a world of terrorism, I cannot believe that even the Democratic Party would not opt for experience over charisma.