Bret Stephens’ opinion article in today’s Wall Street Journal didn't go far enough when he said Iraq is President Barack Obama's "Mideast pillar." It’s true that as an Arab democracy, Iraq is a model for what we would like the rest of the Arab world to become. Curiously, though, Mr. Stephens doesn’t mention how this "pillar" became a reality.

George W. Bush’s administration gets credit for turning Iraq into at least the semblance of a democracy. Bush ordered the troop surge that was so magnificently carried out by Brig. Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the multi-national force in that country. Yet, just weeks ago President Bush was being pilloried by the press and Democrats for ordering the surge. Now pundits are saying Iraq is Obama’s pillar. If the new president was a statesman he would give his predecessor credit for handing him a reasonably stable country in the Arab region.

The next thing that should have been mentioned in Stephens’ article is the need for an exit strategy on foreign aid. We do not want to turn Iraq into a welfare state. We’re already underwriting Israel. We give tons of economic and military aid to other countries. We are a wealthy nation by comparison to many of these countries but we shouldn't expect American taxpayers to support half the world. After all, we have our own problems.

What I'm really saying is how quickly the press -- even the Wall Street Journal -- can turn a "millstone" around one president’s neck into another president's "pillar." President Bush had his faults but hanging in there on Iraq -- especially after the WMD debacle -- wasn't one of them.