Iraqi Politicans Learn the Fine Art of Spin

First, Iraq’s al-Maliki gets into hot water with the Bush administration and Sen. McCain for suggesting a time-line for withdrawal.

Next, presumptive Dem nominee Barack Obama latches on to al-Maliki’s suggestion and features it prominently in an op-ed in today’s NYT — presumably, an attempt by the nominee to exit his own vat of hot water for recently suggesting anything other than a firm time-line.

But not so fast: al-Maliki’s administration — via National Security Adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubaie — changed the language describing their preferences, in an apparent attempt to make everyone happy. Rather than, “specific dates,” the Iraqi government’s real interest is in “time-line horizons.”

Ahh, the beauty of saying the same thing with less-precise language. Iraqi politicians have learned something from their American counterparts, after all.