Because I’m out of the office this week, I’m a bit late in responding to Ramesh’s posting yesterday that the Maliki comments in Der Spiegel endorsing a timetable for U.S. withdrawal, along the lines of what Senator Obama has proposed, can’t help but be an assist to Obama. I agree; in fact, I think it is a hugely favorable development for Obama, for all the obvious reasons. My point is to examine the logic of the claim that for Obama and his campaign, Maliki’s words are a vindication of Obama’s position. They are not, given Obama’s persistent (and recently restated) opposition to the surge. That doesn’t mean that politically, Maliki’s words won’t help Obama or hurt McCain. It will do both, perhaps in a profound, and even a dispositive, way. But because it will doesn’t mean it should. Obama’s vocal and continual opposition was wrong and reckless, whether or not he pays a political price for it. I hope he does, but I’m far from certain he will.