The Economist's "Global Electoral College"

Okay, this isn't about taxes. Bear with me -- we've only got a week until the election, and I'm on pins and needles.

The Economist's "Global Electoral College" is a funny little application that shows what the Economist's readers think about the Obama - McCain race.

Here's something interesting to note: Almost all of the countries in the world are deep, deep blue (pro-Obama), including the US (by 81% to 19%, which is clearly a stronger divide than actually exists in the US itself). But one country that is Leaning McCain? Iraq: 59% McCain, 41% Obama.

Here's a publication whose readership leans hard left throughout the entire world, and a majority of its Iraqi readers prefer McCain.

Obama admits to treason!

While I read the Amir Tahiri report in the New York Post yesterday, I must admit that I frankly could not believe that it was 100% true. This despite the fact that I love Tahiri's work and always read his articles. But Powerline documented the issue far better than I could:

Amir Taheri lays out Barack Obama's sorry record of double-dealing on Iraq:

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.
According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.


This is shocking, although, coming from Obama, not surprising. It's not just that he has tried, in private, to achieve the exact opposite result from the one he has advocated in public. Worse, Obama has in effect tried to conduct his own foreign policy as a President-in-waiting, thereby undermining the actual foreign policy of the United States.

Okay. Maybe Tahiri, Powerline and I are wrong on what Obama meant? How about the statement from his campaign.

Obama's national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Taheri's article bore "as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial."
In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

(Powerline) Which I guess must be different from what Taheri said. Somehow.

Read the entire Powerline post here.