Mission Accomplished?

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and other American officials formally ended the war in Iraq earlier on Thursday, Dec. 15, with a ceremony in Baghdad.

"You will leave with great pride — lasting pride," Panetta told troops after American soldiers officially cased or retired the U.S. Forces Iraq flag at Baghdad International Airport, according to the Associated Press. "Secure in knowing that your sacrifice has helped the Iraqi people to begin a new chapter in history."

The White House also marked the milestone with an interactive timeline on its website.

“American troops have served in Iraq with honor and distinction since March 19, 2003, but the cost to our nation has been great,” it wrote. “December 2011 marks the end of our mission in Iraq, and the fulfillment of a promise Barack Obama made to the American people even before he became president.”

The $800 billion conflict killed 4,434 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqis. Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was toppled, but sectarian violence nearly tore the country apart. Iraq’s infrastructure remains in shambles after nearly nine years of conflict.

Will the end of the Iraq war amount to Obama’s mission accomplished moment?

Campaigning on the End of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Will the end of 'don't ask, don't tell' prove a campaign issue in 2012?

President Barack Obama signed the repeal bill into law late last year, so it would appear in his best interest to point that out to skeptical LGBT donors ahead of the presidential election. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has already done so, citing the end of "the discriminatory 'don't ask, don't tell' law" as one of her legislative accomplishments in a fundraising appeal she sent to supporters earlier on Monday, Sept. 19.

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown is among the six Republicans senators who supported the repeal bill. Log Cabin Republicans will honor Brown and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who also backed the measure, at their national dinner in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday Sept. 20. Elizabeth Warren announced her Senate campaign on Sept. 14.

Congressmen Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Sept. 15 to postpone the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' but appears as though this plea will fall on deaf ears. The vast majority of Americans remain focused on the economy, jobs and the national debt. The question of whether gays and lesbians can openly serve in the military does not factor into this bread and butter equation.

In other words, it appears unlikely that the sky will fall onto the campaign trail or anywhere else for that matter on or after Sept. 20.