I would disagree, at least in part. This is not a "new" war, but a continuation of Bush's war. That war was lost. Remember, Bush promised that all the nations in the Middle East would adopt democratic governments once Iraq was conquered, as the yearning for "freedom" overwhelmed the populace. And Bush told Pat Robertson that "no one will die" in the effort. Therefore it's not Obama's war, sort of.

However, Obama has adopted the lost cause of Bush and continued it. Where there was no al-Qaeda when Bush started, instead of acknowledging that Bush lost and al-Qaeda won, Obama is continuing to fight, and lose.

In a heralded "free election", the guy who lost is still in power and acting like Saddam acted. That's not anyone's idea of "democracy", that's substituting dictators. That, coupled with the dominance of al-Qaeda where al-Qaeda didn't exist demonstrates what Bush left Obama with.

And Obama has adopted the situation as his own, to the disgust and dismay of at least some of us.