The White House Was Against Timetables...

...Before they were for them?

Limited troops withdrawals are set to begin this September.

Say, that's a few weeks before the elections! What great timing, no? :D

Note that the goal was always to reduce troop levels somewhat right before the election. We've heard rumblings of this before. So why the vicious attacks on Democrats who- to varying degrees- were demanding exit strategies and timetables for phased withdrawals? Because the White House knows the war is unpopular and that the vast majority of Americans want to see troops beginning to return home as soon as possible. So they knock the Democrats down for wanting a change so that it doesn't look like it was they who forced the issue, institute their own changes closer to the midterms, and hope to take all the credit. It'd be sadder if it wasn't so predictable.

Democrats need to stand up for themselves on this very important issue; as Josh Marshall noted, they haven't done the best job thus far.

UPDATE: Uh oh, the White House is mad that Gen. Casey spoiled their October surprise-
White House plays down Iraq withdrawal talk (AP)

UPDATE #2: New polls show a majority lean toward the Democratic position on Iraq-
Poll: Majority of Americans want withdrawal plan for Iraq

[PS- Curiouser and curiouser- This AP article was titled "Iraq PM wants timeline on security handoff" when I bookmarked it yesterday. Now the title is "Iraqi PM sets no deadline for U.S. exit". Did the White House ask the PM for a flip-flop on timetables? Why, if I were a cynical man, I might say yes... ]