Bill could have written Patraeus's testimony for him. In today's Cheers and Jeers he predicted what Patraeus would say in his testimony. Yes it was snark (Bill's prediction, unfortunately not Patraeus), and yes our beloved Bill entertains us by taking things to the absurd. But when you're talking about the Bush administration and the Iraq war, the absurd is the reality.
So here's Bill's statement from this morning's Cheers & Jeers:
We'll be told that things are going well enough in Iraq that we can talk about drawing down forces, but not so well that we can actually draw down forces.
And here's Petraeus's statement:
(via TPM http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...)
At the end of that period, we will commence a process of assessment to examine the conditions on the ground and over time determine when we can make recommendations for further reductions. This process will be continuous, with recommendations for further reductions made as conditions permit.
This approach does not allow establishment of a set withdrawal timetable, however it does provide the flexibility those of us on the ground need to preserve the still-fragile security gains our troops have fought so far and sacrifice so much to achieve.
Maybe if John McCain is elected president, we won't have to go through this "talking about withdrawing" any more, because John is a man of action. All-American War Hero John won't sit around talk, talk, talking. He'll stand up (in full body armor, surrounded by 100 soldiers and constantly protected by circling armed helicopters) and commit us to keeping our troops in Iraq for the next 100 years. Or maybe 1000?
That's because when talked to the Veterans of Foreign wars and said
that last year's U.S. troop buildup in Iraq brought a glimmer of "something approaching normal" there.
http://ap.google.com/...
he meant that normal for Iraq is having 130-150,000 American troops there.