Has Al-Zarqawi handed this election to Bush?

One of the greatest points of contention in this presidential race has been over whether or not Iraq was an essential front in the War on Terror. While John Kerry has been unable to offer any clear message on where he stands on Iraq, he has recently framed the war as a "grand diversion" from the war against terrorism and the battle with al-Qaida.

The Senator will be hard pressed to defend that position with Al-Zarqawi now pledging his allegiance to al-Qaida and bin Laden.

AP reports:

The most feared militant group in Iraq, the movement of terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, declared its allegiance to Osama bin Laden on Sunday, saying it had agreed with al-Qaida over strategy and the need for unity against "the enemies of Islam."

The question is, will Senator Kerry take another mulligan on his Iraq position?