Surprise us President Obama

In a recent column, Thomas Friedman wrote about Nelson Mandela in the movie Invictus surprised his country by supporting the mainly-white soccer team. President Obama has a couple of chances to surprise the country in his upcoming national address on Iraq. Iraq divided the country and this is Obama's chance to heal some of the partisan divide.

First there is the war itself. He could say, "We may disagree on whether the war was worth the cost but the world is a better place without Sadam Hussein."

I doubt that he will say this or that it would even occur to him. One of his original selling points in the presidential primaries was that he was always against the war. That is why it would be such a big deal for him to admit that there is another side. It would outrage the Netroots but he has already lost their favour and it would be a chance to be the post-partisan president that he claimed he would be.

The second surprise would be to acknowledge President Bush's role in the conclusion of hostilities in Iraq. This goes beyond reaching out to the other side because Bush was right and Obama was wrong. In fact, Obama was very wrong. When the Surge was announced, Obama predicted that it would make things worse. Instead it succeeded and Obama knows it. He not only knows it, he completely reversed himself on it. That is why the combat troops left in honour in August of 2010 instead of in defeat in the Spring of 2009 as Obama originally promised. He also based our operations in Afghanistan on Bush's Surge and put the same general in charge.

Anyone with the slightest bit of class would admit his mistakes and acknowledge Bush's role. This is where Obama really defines himself. Is he a statesman capable of admitting his own failability or is he a partisan political hack who takes credit for other's accomplishments?

This one would not cost Obama anything. Everyone knows that he reversed himself and followed Bush's lead. He can afford to be a bit gracious. Can he bring himself to do it?

Surprise us, Mr. President.