Abdullah Quits Leaves Karzai

Now it's certain that the U.S. is stuck with the corrupt Hamid Karzai. That certainty seems like an advantage in moving forward with a strategy.
Meet the Press roundtable discuss Afghanistan this morning. Andrea Mitchell says there is a whole lot to be done before Obama can announce the new way in Afghanistan:

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Abdullah Abdullah bowed out gracefully without inciting violence:

The concern among diplomats here on Saturday was that Mr. Abdullah would denounce Mr. Karzai even as he bowed out of the race, possibly causing greater anger, and even violence, among his followers. American and Western diplomats were leaning on Mr. Abdullah to pull out with little rancor and to urge his supporters to accept the fact that Mr. Karzai would be president.

Mr. Karzai’s supporters were also hoping Mr. Abdullah would choose that course. Over the past month, as the evidence of vote stealing piled up, Mr. Karzai’s ministers carried on with extraordinary self-confidence, portraying the fraud, and the runoff itself, as a nuisance that, once overcome, would allow them to get on with their jobs. NYT