The dems antics ar e so rediculous that I cannot help but think that it is staged to create an artificial controversy.
Why? Do we need to have a "threat" expressed that our troops may be removed in order to spur on the Iraqi's to take ovedr their own country? Are they dragging their feet because they feel no sense of urgancy?
If I were really suspeicious, I would say this whole controversy has been staged to put the fear of abandonment into the Iraqi heads.
On the Other hand, the dems are stupid, so never mind...
This has occurred to me also.
I imagine that certain conversations have taken place; conversations between President Bush, or SOS Rice, or SOD Rumsfeld, and senior members of the Iraqi political leadership. Conversations in which the Iraqi's were saying things like "we can't crack down yet, we're not strong enough, you've got to stay and help us..." etc, etc. And our side is saying "you've got to get moving, we can't stay there forever, you've got to get it together and take control of your own country."
And part of this conversation is from our side: "Look, there is a lot of political opposition on our side, we can hold it off temporarily but sooner or later we're going to have to get our people out of there."
I imagine that, against this backdrop, the President and his top staff may just be letting the Democrats do some of their "dirty work" for them (not the right term, I know). They're playing "good cop bad cop," with the left-wing Democrats playing the "bad cop."
This is good because it lights a fire under the Iraqi's, who (it's just human nature) would rather have us carry their water, spend lives and money, as long as possible.
It's also good because it helps the President, master of Texas hold'em, play a massive rope-a-dope with the idiot Dems as long as possible, and, in so doing, make sure a nice big "traitor" sign is hung around their necks for all to see.
(steely)