Candidates and Congress

All three presidential candidates had their moments in the political spotlight when General David Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress on Tuesday.

The general, architect of the "surge" strategy, said that there would no massive withdrawal of U.S. troops in the immediate future and asked for a "pause" in troop withdrawals after the surge forces are drawn down. Ambassador Crocker said that some political progress was being made in Iraq but "immense challenges" remain in the country's governing structure.

The two men appeared before a series of Senate and House committees and all three presidential candidates-Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama-had their turn to question and comment on the appearance of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker.

Senator Clinton argued for an "orderly" withdrawal of troops from Iraq, Senator McCain only wants to withdraw troops when it is clear that adequate security has been established in Iraq, and Senator Obama called for a "timetable" for withdrawal plus talks with Iran, which figured prominently in the testimony.

The hearings were much less contentious than previous ones with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. Democrats, while disagreeing with the two men, remained respectful, particularly the presidential candidates. They don't want to anger voters who, while not agreeing wholeheartedly with the war in Iraq, still don't want to see the U.S. humiliated there.

Senator McCain tried to position himself as a supporter of the U-S aims in Iraq but not tie himself to the past trials and tribulations of the war as it has been conducted both on the ground and in Washington.

At the end of the day, not much changed politically, say the experts, as each candidate seemed to be propping up his or her own political base and trying not to anger those who, for the time being, may disagree.