A "little"? Obama's policy has been embraced by the Maliki government and the Bush administration.

Obama's policy ?????

He wanted to leave even if it resulted in genocide. Remember ? Now the war is won so it's his policy ? Come on.

The hallmark of modern Ameican conservatives is that they never, ever admit they were wrong. So, they have no way of self-correcting and their behavior resembles a downward spiral. McCain will still trumpet victory with Bush's fucked up Surge, which basically made Baghdad into an urban prison.

WHERE ARE THE DAMNED CATS!!!!!

But, conditions on the ground have changed, ipso facto, Hon. Sen. McCain was right all along.

So he was right all along, but where's his experience?

And Mike K, perhaps he can judge events better than you, and could tell that genocide was not so likely as you feared. Perhaps you've been getting bad information. Your guys, after all, thought we'd find WMDs and be welcomed with flowers, and that Iraq could pay for its own reconstruction. Are you STILL listening to the morons who led you so wrong? Why not listen to the guy who got it right before the war was even started? That would be Obama. Old Mr. Experience, he sure called that one wrong, didn't he?

Logically, Iraq agreeing to a "timetable" for US withdrawal should help vindicate Obama - but remember the insights that deep emotional forces and susceptibility to logical fallacy sway voters to a frightening degree. Then the MSMemia culture doesn't help either. Just today, cheesy-grinning neocon/Likudnik wank Paul Greenberg had a piece (of s***) about how Obama being "wrong on the surge" is the big deal of the year, not being wrong about the whole goddam war (and of course no mention of annoying facts like the Anbar Awakening starting before the Surge proper, etc.)

No matter how good any _____ looks, we will have to fight tooth and nail (near literally) to get traction out of it, in the current atmosphere.

This is good news for McCain! Since Iraq was the central front in The Great War on Terror, that war is over too!

George Bush -- first president to win two wars! What a record for Senator McCain to run on!

Now if we act fast we can squeeze in a victory against Iran, and still make the November deadline.

GO(P) for the Three-peat!

Re: New site - would you mind doing the same sans-serif font that you had over at carpetbagger? This is kind of hard to read. I read on my iPhone as often as I do a desktop, and there aren't font settings on that device yet.

Just a thought, thanks!

Let us remind ourselves that there are no winners here, politically or otherwise. And there is still plenty of time for shit to happen in Iraq before or after the elections to make a mess of any plans.

He should be delighted. This would free up troops for Iran...or Russia.

Somehow the McCain camp and the media will spin this in his favor...it was John McCain's hardline stance that made a withdrawl timeline doable.

"U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have agreed to the withdrawal of all U.S. combat forces from the country by the end of 2011."

By then only a 50,000 man peacekeeping force will be required, optimistically, but no combat troops.

I think you're probably wrong if you think this will make any difference. The people who support McCain only hear what they want to hear. He says we will be there a hundred years if our troops aren't being killed like they are currently and all they hear is that he is going to make it safe to be there. When he tells them our troops will be withdrawing because his surge plan was successful, they will take it as proof that his strategy is more successful than Obamas. You can't talk with these people, they are immune to logic and reason.

As was said on the Daily Show a few nights before - this isn't a "timeline". It's a "Horizon". The one thing that, no matter how long you march toward it, never gets any closer.

Gave me a chuckle.

Anyway, welcome Steve!

How likely would it be that Maliki would be able to stand up to Bush without Obama (and his withdrawl timetable) waiting in the wings?

And I agree with Mike K, we did win the war. The occupation, however has been a (literally) bloody failure. The Iraqis want us out, we should go.

Somehow, though, Mike K still seems like a dim troll.

Steve, you're ignoring McCain's consistent support for a timetable for leaving Iraq. He has called for the U.S. to get out on numerous occasions. He did all of this well ahead of any such imploring on Obama's part. If you don't believe me prepare for his spokepeople to tell you so once any agreement is finalized. Then, as further proof and assurance to the electorate, look for all the major dailies and TV news outlets to diligently report that this is always how it has been. The Left, Democrats and anyone else with a contrary view are just willfully ignoring the facts, twisting the words of a patriot and former POW to serve their own traitorous ambitions and agenda.

Two things are likely with this.

One: McCain will be viewed as "against the timeline before he was for it;" he need exert no effort at all to flip from one extreme of an issue to the other, as has been proven countless times already---and the media will "conveniently forget" about his prior stance on the issue.

Two: This is the dangerous one, where the Bushylvanians once again prove themselves unworthy of trust---by abandoning this "Plan B" (the timeline) and falling back on "Plan A" (to stay the course). There's also the possibility of this "timeline" actually being a false front for a Bush/Maliki "treaty" that end-runs around Congressional authority---just like every other "benchmark" established by those horrid little swine....

Bush/Cheney/Mccain know there is a lot more money to be made in Iraq. Why sacrifice the cash cow?

Isn't it funny how people who voted for Bush, who had no experience (the Lt. Gov. in Texas actually runs the state), all of a sudden HAVE to have someone with tons of experience. Lo and behold, look who fits the bill...another Republican, of course.

Looks like the White House Press Corp buffet will have arugala on the menu from now on. It's not as tasty as, say, crow, but it's easier to swallow. Nonetheless one can just hear it now:"The surge won the war! The surge won the war! Too bad Obama can't admit it." Pass the baloney, er, I mean the arugala...

And I should also mention that I'm bringing along my commenters from The Carpetbagger Report. They're a spirited bunch, but I'm confident the two sets of regulars will get along just fine.

Don't forget you're also going to have to contend with a cadre of Kevin Drum dead-enders, like me for example, who aren't going away just because the lead writer did.

s9, you aren't supposed to go away, and I am still commenting here as are plenty of the old crowd. It isn't going to kill you to split up your time and devotion a bit.

McCain was using "conditions on the ground" as an excuse to to keep American forces in Iraq for as long as possibkle. The Iraqis demanded we leave or they would not re-sign the UN agreement enabling us to be there. Iraqis demanded a time-table for troop withdrawal or Bush would not be leaving either.

Obama had the good sense to see this did not need to be prolonged any longer, that it was not worth the live of even one more soldier to help contractors continue to profiteer at the cost of blood. If you think either Bush or McCain would be withdrawing of their own accord you're sadly mistaken.
As we have recently observed from every "lobbyists pet senator on a leash" and the Georgian affair, McCain would rather start a war than lose an election...he's ramping up for a new cold war now.

Experience does not replace good judgment. Being wrong for 39yrs is still being wrong and McCain is wrong on everything...and lying about it...or just can't remember. I guess he won't get the chance to "just sit the Sunnis and Shiites down and say stop the bullshit". McCain had no withdrawal plans...period...regardless of conditions on the ground...it was never his intention....damn Iraqis.

Re: New site - would you mind doing the same sans-serif font that you had over at carpetbagger? This is kind of hard to read. I read on my iPhone as often as I do a desktop, and there aren't font settings on that device yet. Just a thought, thanks!

You know, whenever I come into someone's home as a visitor I always ask them to change their furniture and decor to suit my tastes, as well. After all, it's all about my convenience!

That's cute ... Mike K pretends genocide matters to him NOW, whereas he has spent the past 6 years defending the lies used to justify the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.

It's hard to take the moral high road when you're already in the gutter.

As I was telling my moonbat and wingnut brothers yesterday, John "Zinger" McC*nt and his sidekick Joe LIEber-boy will be happy to tell us that NOW we can talk about withdrawals and timetables because NOW we have won and didn't Joe and John tell you THEY could decide when that happened?

But of course, when Obama and 60% of the American Public wanted to set a timetable last month, last Spring or last year, it was too early, and thus traitorous and defeatist. Leaving then would mean losing, even though we were winning (only of course Boy George II was losing until he started listening to John "Zinger" McC*nt save the day).

Stefan wrote "You know, whenever I come into someone's home as a visitor I always ask them to change their furniture and decor to suit my tastes, as well. After all, it's all about my convenience!"

This isn't someone's home. This is someone's place of business and believe me, the decor needs help.

Orange

So. Combat troops out by 2011.
How many "military advisers" will that leave?
Here's hoping it's less than 100,000.

Orange

Has anyone heard of how the US is going to thank al Sadr for allowing the Surge to "work"?
No ceasefire = no progress

About 'experience'

The most experienced President, who had been Senator, Representative, Cabinet Member, and Ambassador (and who had even been nominated for SCOTUS but turned it down), was James Buchanan, one of the real Presidential disasters.

He was followed by someone who not only had little experience, but who had been an anti-war activist in Congress. He prosecuted the greatest war in our history. Guy named Lincoln.

Let's look at some of the good ones from last century.

TR -- brief state legislative and gubernatorial history, short period as VP (shoved there to get him 'out of the way'). And, btw, sometimes called 'the biggest celebrity of the Century.'

Wilson (arguably the most Progressive President -- except in racial matters -- domestically, certainly among the top three) -- no national experience, two years as Governor of NJ -- one of which he spent running for President.

FDR -- state legislator, sub-Cabinet official, 4 yrs Governor of New York

Truman -- long-term Senator

Eisenhower (better in retrospect than he seemed, and the only decent Republican since TR) -- NO political experience of any kind. Military experience of actually commanding armies -- not as a POW

Kennedy -- four years Representative, eight years Senator

LBJ -- (another major Progressive domestically 00 until Vietnam wrecked everything) almost 30 yrs in Congress, 3 as VP

So, show me how experience correlates with competence.

Paul, about that difficulty of yours in regards to reading the print:

1---place your left index finger on the "Ctrl" button.

2---push the 'Ctrl" button down and hold it down.

3---Place your right index finger on the "+" button and push it down.

4---Repeat step 3 as needed until you can read what you're trying to read.

5---Stop pushing the "+" button.

6---Take your friggin' left index finger off the "Ctrl" button.

7---Read to your little heart's content---unless you're a John McCain fan, in which case we're all going to talk about how many houses your candidate has, whether he's paying his property taxes on them, and how many of his "investment properties" could be defined as "Pottersville Shanties."

Steve

It's a Time Horizon/Aspiration Goal and a desert topping!

Peace
JTD