I think it has put him on the defensive, Anderson.

I think it was -- Barack Obama made the first mistake of his trip in my judgment in releasing a statement in which he said exactly what Maliki had said in those conversations.

I think it has put him on the defensive, Anderson; but a couple of things. One is the head of the joint chiefs, Admiral Mullen has just said in the last 48 hours he thinks it's a mistake to set deadlines and hard deadlines.

I think he does and I think he may come back on this question of Barack Obama is not the right person to be negotiating the end of this war right now.

This is a dramatic shift, Anderson. This drumbeat has been now coming since last Friday as you just pointed out. And it's very clear that as elections approach in Iraq, Maliki is asserting a certain kind of nationalism there.

But the election of an African-American president, whether it's Barack Obama or someone else, will, I am convinced, over time improve race relations.

But the election of an African-American, whether it's Barack Obama or someone else, will, I am convinced, over time improve race relations.

I don't think their lives have changed very much yet, Anderson. What we've seen in the past is that -- milestones and really big breakthroughs legislatively or in terms of rhetoric can change things over time.

No, because I don't think their lives have changed very much yet, Anderson.

This war is costing us $10 billion a month in Iraq.

I think it undercuts John McCain's argument about not sitting down with Iran, being very tough on them.