Problem: 2,300 American dead. 30,000 Iraqi dead. 15,000 American wounded. Iraqi wounded? We'll never know. 

There were no weapons of mass destruction. There was no imminent threat. There was no reason to rush into this war. Even if we had determined that an invasion of Iraq was absolutely necessary, there was no reason to do so without first building a consensus among our most important allies. No commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces should ever put American troops into harm's way without first exhausting all possible alternatives.

Solution: Get back to the Security Council. Get our troops back home.

We've created a terrible mess, and we have to clean it up. Unfortunately, we can't afford to do that alone. That's why it was such a tragic mistake to invade Iraq without first forming a real consensus among our allies. Let's go back to the UN Security Council and map out a long term strategy for Iraq's security. They'll be much more willing to deal with new American leadership.  At the same time, let's begin withdrawing U.S. troops now. If you elect me, I will vote in favor of any responsible congressional resolution that calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Here, more specifically, is the "Jimmy Plan" for ending our involvement in Iraq:

Step 1:

Announce a plan to withdraw all American troops from Iraq by the time that George Bush leaves office. Tying the withdrawal timetable to the end of Mr. Bush's tenure as Commander in Chief will strike a resonant chord with everyone in the Middle East, as well as many people around the world.  Make it clear to the world community that the timetable is only a target, but that it is a schedule that we Americans who oppose this war have every intention of meeting.

Step 2:

Immediately withdraw at least one battalion of U.S. soldiers in order to demonstrate the sincerity of our resolve and the seriousness of our intentions. We can only hope that the imposition of a timetable will provide the Iraqi government with an increased resolve to form a stable government and an internal security force in a more timely fashion.

Step 3:

Convene regular sessions of the U.N. Security Council and any interested member nations to plan a strategy for the long-term peace and stability of the entire region, not just Iraq. Develop a quick-reaction multi-national force that will be able to return to Iraq to quell unrest as needed. This same multi-national force must also have the authority to take military action in Iran and in the Palestinian territories if required. Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapons capability, and Hamas must not be allowed to develop a force that is capable of threatening Israeli interests. It goes without saying that this multi-national force must involve the participation of the United States, but we must make it abundantly clear to our allies that their participation will also be required. They will no doubt be more amenable to negotiating with a fresh set of faces in Washington after November.
 

Problem: $2,300 per second.