Obama's momentum on FP

There's an excellent analysis today in the Washington Post on how the Senator's trip to the Middle East has dramatically shifted the terms of the debate. He's demonstrated his credibility with key leaders in the region, shown that his prior analysis of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is right on target, and has already moved discussion to planning for a post-occupation Iraq. In short, he's proven himself.

Sen. Barack Obama, on his first and likely only overseas trip as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has remade the campaign's foreign policy playing field, neatly sidestepping Republican charges that he has been naive and wrong on Iraq and moving to a broader, post-Iraq focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In essence, Obama has declared the war in Iraq all but over.

The article, by Karen DeYoung and Jonathan Weisman, is well worth a quick read.