First of all I never said blind opposition to any use of American force, anywhere, for any reason was a position universally held on the left. I said it was the position “of much of the left”, (and btw, not everyone holding this position qualifies as a pacifist—some just think any use of US force is inherently evil). So it is you who are making the man of straw.

I know you disagree this is the case, but look at the evidence:

1) Move on opposed the war against AL Queda

2) Michael Moore opposed both the war against Al-Queda and the actions to stop genocide in the Balkans.

3) The recent open letter to Obama in the nation says “In other areas--such as the use of residual forces and mercenary troops in Iraq, the escalation of the US military presence in Afghanistan, the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the death penalty--your stated positions have consistently varied from the positions held by many of us, the ‘friends on the left’ you addressed in recent remarks.”

4) See also http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080721/hayden3

5) Besides myself, I have yet to read one writer on TDG, other than you in this thread, post anything in agreement with Obama's position on the Afghan surge--and when I did recently, in a pro-Obama piece, Bouldin essentially called me a warmonger, with no one rising to my defense.

6) Most importantly, I was speaking of Powell, and after reading all his site has to say on foreign policy and defense, it would be difficult not to infer that this is his position, especially given his call to basically dismantle the Department of Defense and put all the money into either urban needs of homeland security--this also is not the Obama position.

Further, even many of those who do not hold this position will not hold such a position against a candidate for public office.

btw, I think your saying what you did about the first Afghan was very brave