(CNN) -- While Sen. Barack Obama says he'll visit Iraq and Afghanistan before the election, he's staying consistent with his plans to start withdrawing U.S. troops almost immediately should he become president. Sen. Barack Obama says he'll go to Iraq and Afghanistan before November. Obama says the need to withdraw troops is twofold: "One is to spur more action out of the Iraqis. ... But the second reason for withdrawal is the fact that we're spending $10 [billion] to $12 billion a month in Iraq," Obama said Monday while on a two-day swing through Michigan. "The people here in Flint, Michigan, who I'm going to be talking to, would like to see some of that investment made here at home."
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Obama says he'll visit Iraq, Afghanistan before election
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RNC Web site has counter clocking days since Obama's last visit
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McCain, Obama offer vastly different strategies to deal with Iraq
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Analysts see improvement on the ground in Iraq
@placeholder does not think American troops should return to the United States until Iraqi forces are capable of maintaining a safe, democratic state.