By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist

John McCain's speech in Ohio today has a disconcerting "Mission Accomplished" echo.

“By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom,’’ the Republican almost-nominee said at the Columbus Convention Center. “The Iraq War has been won. Iraq is a functioning democracy, although still suffering from the lingering effects of decades of tyranny and centuries of sectarian tension."

I don't hear many people talk about "winning" the Iraq War anymore. It's about extracting ourselves from a situation we never should have gotten into, with as little damage as possible to ourselves and the region.

McCain looked into a crystal ball that has himself in the White House four years from now, the war won and the country experiencing "robust economic growth." (Here's the news story.)

A reporter suggested that McCain might be handing out tickets to a "magic carpet ride."

Not so, the candidate said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with fantasy, I think it has everything to do with setting goals and achieving.’’

I appreciate that roll-up-the-sleeves approach as much as the next person. But I think Alladin just signed on with the McCain campaign.