A Time Table

Tony Blankley's latest article is about the big speech today, outlining our plan to win the war in Iraq. In it he argues that it is immoral and disgusting for us to discuss the political ramifications of such a withdrawal.

. . . to assume that the timing of the exit is for electoral expediency is something very different -- and very evil. If President Bush were to actually make such a calculation (which I refuse to believe he would), then it would undercut every reason for his starting the war in the first place. If he thought that the war could still be concluded successfully but he is willing to accept failure by leaving prematurely if it will save a few House seats, there would be a deep place in Hell for such a man.

Yes, I understand that the anti-Bush lefties always thought that. I don't care what those lost souls think. But if decent people who have supported President Bush begin to buy into this deeply cynical mischaracterization of his calculation, they do him and the country a terrible disservice.

The timing of the original Iraqi War Resolution was timed to coincided with the 2002 mid-term elections. I don't know if it's too terribly beyond the pale to suggest that politics might play into President Bush's war plans, even tangentially.

On the other hand, it doesn't appear that President Bush is going to be pulling troops out any time soon. His administration has released a "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," and it looks like a continuation of what we are already doing. So this big speech today will probably be more of the same.