From a speech given today Barack Obama said the following:

We hear eerie echoes of the run-up to the war in Iraq in the way that the President and Vice President talk about Iran. They conflate Iran and al Qaeda. They issue veiled threats. They suggest that the time for diplomacy and pressure is running out when we haven’t even tried direct diplomacy. Well George Bush and Dick Cheney must hear - loud and clear - from the American people and the Congress: you don’t have our support, and you don’t have our authorization for another war.

Endless speculation has swirled for the last year or so that the Bush administration is considering military action against Iran and Gen. Patraeus said this week that Iran was fighting a “proxy” war in Iraq. News came out today that Syria may be developing nuclear weapons using North Korean technology and Iranian assistance.

The NY Times reports that Mitt Romney is continuing his media buy push. He has spent $2 million for airtime in Iowa & New Hampshire, recently made a big media buy in South Carolina and his energy spot is now playing in Florida.

Lynn Sweet wrote of Senator Barack Obama’s missed opportunity yesterday during hearings on Iraq to ask probing questions, using six of his seven allotted minutes to lecture Gen. David Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker. From the column:

Obama used about six minutes of his time to lecture Petraeus and Crocker that the surge is of modest success given the cost and the Iraq central government is ineffectual — points he has been making in speeches and debates. As Obama was wrapping up, he said, “That, of course, now leaves me very little time to ask questions, and that’s unfortunate.”

“That’s true, Senator,” piped up Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, the committee chairman and a rival for the Democratic nomination.

The Senator is also giving what his staff is calling a “major” address detailing his plan for Iraq today in of all places Clinton, Iowa. Honestly from what has been given to the press I don’t see much here that hasn’t been expressed by the campaign or the democratic party.

In the speech Obama resigns himself to the fact, as the Democrats as a whole have, that there is no military solution for the country. The Senator also is using the opportunity to once again take a swipe at Clinton and other rivals by pointing out he was opposed to the war from the start. Which is fine, but that sentiment not backed up with true alternatives doesn’t necessarily equate a real “change”.

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Rasmussen’s daily tracking now has Fred Thompson at 26%, Giuliani at 22%, Romney at 13% and McCain at 12%.

On the Democratic side Clinton still leads at 43%, Obama at 22% and Edwards trails at 16%.

Senator Chuck Hagel has officially announced his retirement from the Senate and that he will not seek the presidency in 2008 ending months of rumors to the contrary.