After starting out with radically opposing views, White House hopefuls Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama appear to be moving closer together on Iraq as the election draws nearer.

Obama, who is leading the race against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, has recently taken a more cautious approach to his pledge to pull out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office in January 2009.

Amid warnings of the risks of leaving too early, the Illinois senator — a strong opponent of the war — said that he reserves the right to change this policy depending on the situation on the ground.

“I will always listen to our commanders on the ground with respect to tactics … we are going to proceed deliberately, in an orderly fashion, out of Iraq,” Obama said in a debate mid-April with Clinton.

“If they come to me and want to adjust tactics, then I will certainly take their recommendations into consideration. But ultimately, the buck stops with me as the commander in chief.”

Both Republicans and Democrats deny their positions are moving closer.

“There is no similarity,” said Steve Schmidt, an advisor to McCain. Another aide, Mark Salter, insisted the 2013 date was not set in stone: “He’s not saying ‘win or lose, they come home in four years’.”

Makes it easier to run the campaign in the Fall.  Looks like botht are trying to make the War the minor player in the general election.