The Chicago Tribune’s Steve Chapman cheers Sen. Obama for holding to withdrawing troops regardless of the circumstances in Iraq and the MidEast. I actually believe that one can mature while not wavering (flip-flopping) in their political campaigns, yet I agree with Chapman’s observation that Sen. Obama is not straying substantially from his left-wing voting record, regardless of how the rest of the media potrays him.

Syria will open an embassy in Lebanon. Lebanon may also opened an embassy in Syria. Syria has pretty much stopped sending fighters into Iraq to battle with the Coalition forces and Iraqi civilians. Israel has sent a peace offer to Syria via Turkey. France is stepping up diplomatic efforts inviting both Israel and Syrian leaders to a Bastille Day celebration. Al-Qaeda may be defeated in Iraq or close to it, with 70 more militants surrendering yesterday. President Bush and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced troop withdrawals, coming as soon as this fall, with 30,000 US Troops scheduled to come home.

The US plans to station diplomats in Iran for the first time since 1979, with first-ever nuclear disarmament talks scheduled with that country. Iran (with the unsubtle encouragement of US and Iraqi ground forces) may have directed the recent shrinkage of the Sadr militia, reducing one of the major threats to a more stable Iraq.

So, as Steve Chapman has noted, Sen. Obama has not really changed his position on Iraq and the Mideast. My question is, given the above events, why not?