WH suggests 50K pullout "by end of 06". Isn't that a deadline/date?

[Mugsy]

The "big" news today was that the White House was suggesting a possible reduction of U.S. forces "by the end of next year", reducing troop levels from 150,000 to 100,000.

But the thought dawned on me... isn't "by the end of 2006" an arbitrary deadline? I thought that was a major no-no?

Their argument has been that "if you set a deadline, the terrorists will just wait us out and not participate in the new democracy". And now they are suggesting a 1/3 troop reduction by the end of next year?

Am I alone in noticing this hypocrisy?

[Bluzmann57]

1. Just a coincidence that it's an election year

My ass it's a coincidence. That is their plan, because Diebold has been blown open somewhat and the press is waking up and doing their jobs so now they have to do something else, since the large majority of people disagree with any ideas they may come up with.

[ticapnews]

2. Why do you hate America?

They aren't setting a deadline, they are announcing a target date, or time frame, for the partial withdrawal of troops.

Just in time for the midterms.

[Ksec]

3. Go thank John Murtha

Hes the one who got this one done. I never heard the word pullout until his brave speech about getting the tropps out of the quagmire shooting gallery Bush has put them in.

Anyway, thank Murtha. He got it done.

[The Wielding Truth]

5. Agree.

[sandnsea]

8. Murtha said this is NOT his plan

He wanted the vast majority of troops home within 6 months, all troops out of Iraq and only a small contingent in places like Kuwait. 100,000 troops left in Iraq at the end of 2006 is not progress at all, this is just another smokescreen.

[Lefty48197]

4. Hey, I thought pull-out dates would embolden the enemy?

And I thought Murtha was nuts for suggesting that we start bringing the troops home soon? Now some are scheduled to come home next month.

Hey Jean Shaheen, your President is apparently a "coward" who is "cutting and running". Are you going to call him out? Are you going to wear the flag as a sweater, and sweat on it again?

[Technowitch]

6. It's a FreedomLibertyPatriot Redeployment!

I'm sure they'll come up with some lie. Their Up-is-Downism never fails to amaze, amuse, and disgust, simultaneously.

[matt819]

7. No - it's an election tactic (nt)

[bklyncowgirl]

9. I predict most troops will be withdrawn by the first tuesday in November

There's something about that date...

[Mugsy]

10. Slight error on date.

That's "the first Tuesday after November 1st."

And agree above that there's nothing to thank Jack Murtha for here, since "100K troops still in nearly four years after Mission Accomplished" is not even close to what he had in mind.

You can't even give Murtha credit for "getting the ball rolling", since it is more the recent public outrage over White House abuses and the security failures over Katrina that have more to do with this than Murtha's recent speeches.

[bklyncowgirl]

11. Ooops you are so right about the date.

Forgot about that.

I do believe that the Republicans won't stand for the Chimp's war and that troops will be drawn down in order to make it look like this thing isn't going to go on forever.