While the economy is looking bleak, he said, the war in Iraq has taken a positive turn. Despite the violent headlines of the last week, with the Iraqi government taking on insurgents on the frontlines, Pence said it was one of the most positive steps taken in the last few years. It shows, he said, that the Iraqi government is stepping up and diminishing its reliance on an American presence.

“Clearly the political progress (in Iraq) has been too slow,” Pence said. “Now, things have changed. It’s a much different place than last year. We’ve actually made significant progress.”

Pence is no stranger to the conflict. He has visited the country six times since it began. Each time is different, he said. The first time, they drove into Baghdad. As violence escalated, they flew via helicopter the next few times into the green or safe zone. When he and Sen. John McCain visited last year, they drove again. On that visit, which included the typical stops in safe places, the two ventured farther
than ever - to an Iraqi open air market.

“I’ll always be proud of that visit,” Pence said. “Now, whenever a politician visits Iraq, they go to a market.”