"Managed Withdrawal"

Via Crooks and Liars, we have a CBS report on the contents of the upcoming Iraq Study Group recommendations. Go watch the video.

According to the report, it looks like Baker's group will be recommending a "Managed Withdrawal," because victory of the type we were assured is now beyond our grasp. By "Managed Withdrawal," they mean a gradual draw down of troops according to a timeline, thereby requiring the Iraqis to step up on that same timeline. As in the case of the Iraqi elections, everyone performs better when there are deadlines to be met and responsibilities for which to be held accountable. Furthermore, as the Head of the British Army said just recently, our troops fuel the violence in the area while simultaneously being totally undermanned and under-equipped to accomplish the "victory" we had been assured will be ours.

I'm sure that only my incredibly keen mind could pick up on this subtlety, but "Managed Withdrawal" sounds suspiciously like "Phased Redeployment," or "Phased Withdrawal." In other words, this is exactly what the Democrats have been advocating for over a year. Only our Commander-in-Chief's steadfastness has stood in the way, and thank god for it! Without his resolve - not to be confused with the desire to retain power - think about how many American lives and dollars could have been saved during that period, and that would have been playing directly into the terrorists' hands!

Snark aside, finally the consensus view of reality is coming around to what us clear-eyed Democrats have seen for months and years. No one can call us Defeatocrats anymore. We are, from now on, acknowledged prescient future-seers. I'm sure Karl Rove will update his party's rhetoric to reflect that fact.