More in the cross-post on the MRC's NewsBusters blog.
Appearing on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports on Friday, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd was simultaneously critical and sympathetic toward President Obama while lamenting the commander-in-chief's poor handling of foreign policy: "...you do get the sense that there is a form of Iraq war syndrome that has impacted the administration here. Where are they doing everything that they want to do or are they only doing what they think they can do under the circumstances just because of the way the Iraq war was impacted so much of the political psyche and their own psyche?"
Host Andrea Mitchell joined Todd in diagnosing the President's psychosis: "And the way Barack Obama came to the White House, importantly, wanting to get out of two wars..." Todd continued: "How much does that drive decision-making, even subconsciously? You can't help but wonder. And you say to yourself, 'How would they be handling this if Iraq war weren't in our background?' Would there be a different – would there be a more aggressive push? Would there be more comfort in doing different things different ways?"