SNEAK PEEK: Iraq: Five Years Later

March 18, 2008— -- It seemed like this week would be all about Iraq. The fifth anniversary of the war is Wednesday and the issue has been a central point of debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Who has the judgment and experience to end the war? Who was right about the war five years ago? Iraq will certainly be a key theme in the general election, whether it's Clinton or Obama against John McCain.

But a funny thing happened on the way to March 19 as economic news and the issue of race got in the way. Suddenly the candidates had to shift from foreign policy and national security and talk about race, religion, and the mortgage crisis, prompting Clinton to note that "those 3 a.m. calls can be about economic crises as well as national security ones, because it's all intertwined today."

On Wednesday, foreign policy and history will be the main themes of the day, as Obama and Clinton talk about Iraq and over 11,000 pages of records from Clinton's White House years are released in Arkansas and Washington, D.C.

Obama will deliver what his campaign is billing as a "major speech" on Iraq in Fayetteville, NC. ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports that Obama will present a "comprehensive and substantive view" of his national security vision and draw on different policies that he has laid out over the course of the last year in this presidential run.

Miller has this newsy tidbit: "Be on the lookout for him to draw clear contrast with his "two opponents" aides say -- note that's two opponents, not just Hillary Clinton."

Clinton holds a roundtable with veterans in West Virginia that will focus on Iraq and later holds a town hall meeting in the Mountain State.

President Bush marks the fifth anniversary of the war with remarks at the Pentagon. Look for the President to tout progress over five years while also acknowledging the declining situation there in 2006 that necessitated the troop surge.

Tivo Alert! Nightline co-anchor Terry Moran sat down for an exclusive interview with Obama in Philadelphia after his speech on race Tuesday. They discuss the speech and how his campaign plans to move forward. The interview with air on Nightline at 11:35 pm ET tonight as an American in Black and White special edition and on Good Morning America at 7:00 am ET on Wednesday.

The Obama campaign has been pushing for more transparency from the Clinton campaign, making that a key point of their message in the long gap until the Pennsylvania primary on April 22 and pushing for the release of her records from the White House years.

"What is Sen. Clinton hiding and what is lurking in those documents that she believes voters don't have a right to know?" Obama communications director Robert Gibbs asked last weekend.

On Wednesday, Gibbs and political reporters may get answers to that question when the Clinton Presidential Library opens 11,046 pages of schedules from Hillary Clinton's days as First Lady. These records will be available around 10:00 am ET in the library's research room and online (http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/) and through the National Archives in Washington.

In Jordan, McCain errs when discussing which extremists are being aided by Iran. LINK

Obama Distances from Pastor But Won't 'Disown' Him
Sen. Obama: "As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me." LINK

Obama Speaks to Race
Why can Obama condemn Rev. Wright's controversial views, but not the man himself? LINK

Nightline: Obama Tackling Race
3.18.08  A look ahead to ABC's exclusive interview with the Senator Obama. LINK

Gov. David Paterson Not Perfect
The newly inaugurated New York governor comes clean on his extramarital affairs. LINK

Hasselbeck Blasts Obama About Wright
"The View" co-host criticizes the senator's relationship with spiritual adviser. LINK

Obama Explains His Racial Heritage
Obama discusses his "genetic makeup" and the "divisive turn" in the '08 race. LINK

'The Note' Rewinds the Week's Best Moments
ABC News' Senior Political Reporter Rick Klein on the weekly political roundup. LINK

Paterson's Adulterous Past
The newly sworn-in New York governor and his wife have had extramarital affairs. LINK

Hearing on Gun Laws
Supreme Court case tackles the question over the right to bear arms. LINK

Obama Confronts Race Issues
Can the Illinois senator end the controversy over his preacher? LINK

"Challenging Times" 
Bush warns against government's economic meddling before Bear Stearns bail out. LINK

Intern for the ABC News Political Unit:

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