Reporter's Note: President Obama says that almost all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by Christmas.

Dear Mr. President,

Although I can respect their opinions, I don’t care what the Republicans say right now; you are clearly having a very good run overseas lately. Osama Bin Laden… gone. Gadhafi… gone. Suspected Iranian plot…busted. And now this sudden news that almost all of the U.S. troops are coming home by Christmas. I imagine you chatting in the Oval Office with Biden. “I don’t know, Joe. It just all seemed to come together.”

I realize that unexpected circumstances played at least some role in all of this, but the bottom line remains: You are the Commander in Chief, and many, many voters will give you credit for these events which will almost all be seen in a positive light if polls are to be trusted.

Funny how things turn out, isn’t it? Back when you were running for office, one of the biggest raps against you was that you had far too little experience in international affairs. And you have to admit, it was a fair point. There was nothing on your resume that would have made anyone suspect such promising developments would happen under your leadership.

By the same token, your domestic policy credentials looked o.k. at the time. Now, here you are launching into your re-election bid, and you’re being pounded senseless over domestic problems (like, ahem…sorry to bring it up…unemployment) and it is your international success that is proving to be one of the stronger planks in your platform. Go figure.

I know that plenty of people, especially among your foes, will say that you were just in the right place at the right time; that you had little part in making these things happen.

You know what I say? Presidents often get both credit and blame that they don’t fully deserve, and it is inherently unfair to lay one at a president’s door and not the other. So congratulations for your success in making these events come to pass. I hope it all plays out to be truly good news for the whole world in the long run.

Regards,

Tom