How do we read this one? Apparently, the White House and the Democrats are in a race to claim credit for a troop withdrawl plan.

From Truthout.org -

A report yesterday in the New York Times that General Casey presented a private briefing at the Pentagon last week, in which he projected the number of U.S. combat brigades - each numbering about 3,500 troops - would decrease from 14 to five or six by the end of 2007. There are now about 127,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, including many support troops beyond the combat brigades.
Senate Democrats reacted angrily yesterday to a report that the U.S. commander in Iraq had privately presented a plan for significant troop reductions in the same week they came under attack by Republicans for trying to set a timetable for withdrawal.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that the plan attributed to Gen. George W. Casey resembles the thinking of many Democrats who voted for a nonbinding resolution to begin a troop drawdown in December. That resolution was defeated on a largely party-line vote in the Senate on Thursday.
“That means the only people who have fought us and fought us against the timetable, the only ones still saying there shouldn’t be a timetable really are the Republicans in the United States Senate and in the Congress,” Boxer said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Now it turns out we’re in sync with General Casey.”
Sen. Carl M. Levin (Mich.), one of the two sponsors of the nonbinding resolution, which offered no pace or completion date for a withdrawal, said the report is another sign of what he termed one of the “worst-kept secrets in town” - that the administration intends to pull out troops before the midterm elections in November.
“It shouldn’t be a political decision, but it is going to be with this administration,” Levin said on “Fox News Sunday.” “It’s as clear as your face, which is mighty clear, that before this election, this November, there’s going to be troop reductions in Iraq, and the president will then claim some kind of progress or victory.”

Of course, the so-called troop withdrawl the White House is interested in is one in name only.

But, oh yeah, where does that leave the pontificating Republicans of the House and Senate who last week all but equated troop reduction and timetables with treason? Their plan originally seemed to be to get the Democrats on record as opposing the War (Occupation) thereby revealing the Democratic Party’s treasonous nature.
Now the sudden White House interest In Casey’s troop reduction plan has left the Republican Congress looking ridiculous. (well ok, more ridiculous.) Additionally, the “government” of Iraq has suddenly been taking steps to court at least some of the insurgency with promises of amnesty.
The White House seems to be coordinating an attempt to put the best face on the war before the elections. But apparently the Republicans were left totally out of the loop.

I’m left scratching my head. What devious plan is at work here? What are they up to?
Is Karl Rove about to set a plan into motion that will insure victory in November?

Then it finally comes to me. Of course! There is no devious plan, this White House has simply managed to mismanage this as it has everything else. Their self-centered, short sightedness has struck again! And now they are scrambling to put this latest eleventh hour scheme into motion.
The only problem is, they forgot to tell the Republicans on the hill who are left standing there with a meaningless resolution in their hands and egg on their faces.

Brian

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