Obama to take to the airwaves to discuss U.S. transition in Iraq, while U.S. economy stays in the doldrums

The theme we're told is "Promises Kept," and yes, the President did campaign in 2008 on ending the war. The fact that there was a Status of Forces Agreement signed between former President George W. Bush and the Iraqi government that same year means Obama is simply carrying out a pre-determined time line to bring our troops home.

Of course, we'll still have 50,000 troops Iraq until (presumably) Christmas of 2011 - and since we still have troops in Germany and South Korea, the chances of picking up completely in Iraq then seem remote, but maybe that will happen.

And because there's been so much loss in casualties (both soldiers dead and wounded), it is worth noting the sacrifice that a certain amount of Americans have endured and suffered over the past seven and a half years,  in one of the most controversial wars this country has ever started.

But even if Obama were to discuss the economy, what words could possibly change what's happening not only in this nation, but around the world?  Would critics give him credit for "focusing" on jobs, even though it's questionable what he could do policy wise to start a reversal of the nation's unemployment rate, which is 5% higher than it was in 2006?  Doubtful.

Last week John Boehner called for the firing of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, who has never been popular with anybody.  Obama didn't act on that and probably won't, but might he be forced to soon, to show that he's doing something about the economy, albeit something that's more symbolic than anything else.