While thousands of people in big cities and small communities around the country staged protests on the 5th anniversary of the launch of the Iraq war, the presidential candidates attempted to present distinctions among their various positions on the war.

The latest polls show that more than 7 in 10 Americans blame the Iraq war for the economic recession. The vast majority also view Iraq as a mistake and would like to begin phased troop withdrawal.

Early in the week, Republican nominee John McCain, supposedly with the best national security credentials of the three remaining presidential candidates, appeared to lose a handle on the basic facts about Iraq after a highly publicized campaign trip to Iraq.

In a press conference on the way home from his visit to Iraq, Mar. 18, McCain accused Iran several times of aiding Al Qaeda in Iraq and only corrected himself after Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) whispered in his ear about his error.

Iran has never backed Al Qaeda and indeed offered to join with the US after 9/11 to hunt down Al Qaeda leaders.

McCain insisted that a large US military presence is needed in Iraq to maintain stability there, ignoring advice from military experts such as last year's Jones Commission which blamed instability at least in no small part on the size of the US 'footprint' in Iraq.

McCain's plans for Iraq also appeared to ignore recent polls conducted in Iraq which show that about 7 in 10 Iraqis want foreign troops to leave their country.

On Wednesday, Mar. 19, Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama outlined what he called a 'new goal on Day One' for ending the war in Iraq.

Obama stated he will end the war immediately and that, as commander-in-chief, he would begin to responsibly withdraw one to two brigades each month, likely completing the process in 16 months. He stated that forces needed to take on Al Qaeda and protect US diplomatic property would stay as needed.

The aim of a phased withdrawal, Obama stated, would be to break the stalemate inherent in the Bush-McCain war tactics. Because the Bush-McCain plan for Iraq contains no overarching strategy, he said, we are stuck without a definition of success. We can't answer the question as to whether or not the war in Iraq has made anyone safer, he argued.

The situation gives McCain the opportunity to waffle on the war from period to period as well, Obama pointed out. The current discourse on the war allows McCain to argue 'as he did last year – that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.'

This is not a serious national security or foreign policy, Obama stated. 'Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.'

Despite the best and courageous efforts of US troops, Obama added, McCain would keep them in danger for a 'failed ideology' and a 'fundamentally flawed' set of tactics.

Maintaining the status quo in Iraq, Obama argued, keeps pressure off of the Iraqi factions to move toward the political compromises needed to end their civil war.

As he has done in the past, Obama also criticized Hillary Clinton for her vote to authorize the Iraq war in 2002 and her subsequent support for the war. He stated that Clinton's claim to have passed 'a Commander-in-Chief test' because of her experience is faulty. In any debate with John McCain over experience, Obama said, McCain would win, but that doesn't mean the American people win.

Obama recommended a new way of handling the war in a debate with John McCain.

The real issue is about judgment, not about how much time one has spent in Washington, he said. 'The way to win a debate with John McCain,' said Obama 'is not to talk, and act, and vote like him on national security, because then we all lose.'

There is a 'national security gap,' Obama added. 'A gap between Washington experience, and the wisdom of Washington's judgments.' McCain lacked the judgment to avoid an unnecessary war and lacks the judgment to bring it to an end and bring the troops home.

For her part, on the 5th anniversary of the launch of the war, Hillary Clinton campaigned in Detroit, Michigan in favor of re-doing the Democratic primary vote.

Earlier in the week, however, Clinton promised to bring the war to an end by gathering her top military and foreign policy advisers on her first day in office to develop a plan to initiate troop withdrawal within 60 days. Clinton's plan would keep a large force in Iraq with a mission of fighting Al Qaeda and to maintain stability in Iraq while promoting reconciliation.