[johniegrad]

Wait a minute.......A while back we had the story that he was trying to keep the troops there longer and now we have a story that says he was trying to prevent them from staying longer? Which is it?

[JrsyJack]

Wanted to bring them home before the surge was a success. Wanted to keep them there to claim credit when surge succeeded.

[Know et al]

Both. Overtly he was pandering to his base. Covertly he was conniving to help himself politically ergo he was deceiving the very people that were supporting him.