Do you remember when even suggesting a timetable for withdrawal was a "terrible" idea?

Remember when the White House said that any time-table for withdrawal from Iraq was a terrible idea and those who suggest it were helping terrorists? Well, now that Iraq has an elected government Bush and gang cannot dictate how long we will stay.

• ...Maliki and other Iraqi leaders in recent weeks have begun demanding firm withdrawal deadlines from the United States.

Did you ever wonder why a timetable was such a hot-button issue here? The argument was that it would tip off the terrorists to our plans. As if we were going to sneak out of Iraq. Whether a date is set or not, it would be immediately obvious to even the most casual observer in Iraq when 150,000 troops, untold tons of equipment, tens of thousands of contractors, etc. start to leave Iraq. The argument was really stupid from the start and it is good to see the Bushies accepting reality.

Remember when the right screamed bloody murder at the suggestion of talking to Iran or other enemies? Now the White House is going to have some diplomacy with Iran, though short of full relations. Maybe Bush is so worried about his legacy that he is willing to stop comparing talking to enemies to appeasement and comparing anyone who suggests it to Neville Chamberlain. I hope so.
- posted by john @ 4:34 PM