Iraq needs to be front and center on our minds in the upcoming primaries

U.S. Fatalities in Iraq are down for the 3rd consecutive month, taking Iraq out of the Presidential debate for both parties as the Iowa caucus draws near. This is a very good news for U.S. troops and the families of our soldiers.

It does however cloud the situation in terms of who will get us out of Iraq now that it is off the topic in the last remaining days of 2007 and early 2008. Let us not forget, we still have 160,000 troops in theater and we need to stop the war we have chosen in Iraq and fortify our forces in Afghanistan so that we don't lose the victory we nearly had several years ago.

IT is up to the electorate to decide whether they want Iraq to dominate our lives for the next 10 years or whether we are finally going to get out of there. Only a very few candidates will get us out. They are, for the Republicans, Ron Paul, and for the Democrats Sen. Joe Biden, Rep. Kusinich, Gov. Richardson and possibly John Edwards. You can count on Hillary keeping troops there and Barack may also given his comments in the debate. None of the other candidates on the Republican side will end our presence in Iraq.

To forget about the importance of getting out of Iraq as a major issue in the primaries, is to do so at your own peril and that of your family and friends, because the future needs to be about change!