Too Sweet
The Congress spent an entire week debating resolutions (non-binding) for the development of a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. The results in each house were clear even before the votes: the Republicans (who control Congress) saw any attempt to impose a timetable or even conditions for a timetable as evidence of "cutting and running" and "admitting defeat," and they would have none of it.
So what happened next? The Prime Minister of Iraq included a timetable for withdrawal of American troops as part of the peace offer to insurgents and General Casey, the US commander in Iraq, presented plans for a phased withdrawal of troops to the administration. Some troops would be coming home as early as September, 2006. Naturally, the Democrats are having a field day with the news. From the Washington Post:
Senate Democrats reacted angrily yesterday to a report that the U.S. commander in Iraq had privately presented a plan for significant troop reductions in the same week they came under attack by Republicans for trying to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that the plan attributed to Gen. George W. Casey resembles the thinking of many Democrats who voted for a nonbinding resolution to begin a troop drawdown in December. That resolution was defeated Thursday on a largely party-line vote in the Senate.
...Sen. Carl M. Levin (Mich.), one of the two sponsors of the nonbinding resolution, which offered no pace or completion date for a withdrawal, said the report is another sign of what he termed one of the "worst-kept secrets in town" -- that the administration intends to pull out troops before the midterm elections in November.
The Republican response to those charges were predictable: Casey's plan is different because it is being proposed by someone on the ground in Iraq, and besides, it's just a contingency plan, one of several that have been developed to deal with changes in Iraq. Since that was basically the tenor of the Sen. Levin's plan, it looks like a distinction with no real difference.
Once again this regime has put the Republicans in Congress in a box for the Democrats. Karl Rove directed the dog-and-pony show as a way of portraying the Democrats as soft on security, soft on war waging the whole time he and his boss had to know that bringing down troop levels before the elections was in the works. No doubt another major withdrawal is being contemplated for 2008, close to that November election, as well.
This is not to say that the Emperor is developing a plan for total withdrawal from Iraq. He has made it clear that our occupation will continue into the next administration, and presumably beyond even that. We wouldn't have built such permanent bases and a huge "embassy" compound if we were leaving.
No, this is just cynical election year politics. Unfortunately for the Republicans in the current congress, news of General Casey's "plan" got leaked to the press at a totally inappropriate time. What a nice gift for the Democrats. Let's see if they can do anything with that gift.
So what happened next? The Prime Minister of Iraq included a timetable for withdrawal of American troops as part of the peace offer to insurgents and General Casey, the US commander in Iraq, presented plans for a phased withdrawal of troops to the administration. Some troops would be coming home as early as September, 2006. Naturally, the Democrats are having a field day with the news. From the Washington Post:
Senate Democrats reacted angrily yesterday to a report that the U.S. commander in Iraq had privately presented a plan for significant troop reductions in the same week they came under attack by Republicans for trying to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that the plan attributed to Gen. George W. Casey resembles the thinking of many Democrats who voted for a nonbinding resolution to begin a troop drawdown in December. That resolution was defeated Thursday on a largely party-line vote in the Senate.
...Sen. Carl M. Levin (Mich.), one of the two sponsors of the nonbinding resolution, which offered no pace or completion date for a withdrawal, said the report is another sign of what he termed one of the "worst-kept secrets in town" -- that the administration intends to pull out troops before the midterm elections in November.
The Republican response to those charges were predictable: Casey's plan is different because it is being proposed by someone on the ground in Iraq, and besides, it's just a contingency plan, one of several that have been developed to deal with changes in Iraq. Since that was basically the tenor of the Sen. Levin's plan, it looks like a distinction with no real difference.
Once again this regime has put the Republicans in Congress in a box for the Democrats. Karl Rove directed the dog-and-pony show as a way of portraying the Democrats as soft on security, soft on war waging the whole time he and his boss had to know that bringing down troop levels before the elections was in the works. No doubt another major withdrawal is being contemplated for 2008, close to that November election, as well.
This is not to say that the Emperor is developing a plan for total withdrawal from Iraq. He has made it clear that our occupation will continue into the next administration, and presumably beyond even that. We wouldn't have built such permanent bases and a huge "embassy" compound if we were leaving.
No, this is just cynical election year politics. Unfortunately for the Republicans in the current congress, news of General Casey's "plan" got leaked to the press at a totally inappropriate time. What a nice gift for the Democrats. Let's see if they can do anything with that gift.
posted by Diane at 3:54 AM
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