Does he want a way out? Way out of what?
I've had the impression since the primary that Obama would back away from a timeline once he was in the general election, "refine" strikes me as the first step. Samantha Power's remarks confirmed my impression. I think only his deluded supporters ever took him seriously on an Iraq withdrawal deadline, he always added caveats.
explain why he wants to keep his Iraq withdrawal plan if the generals on the ground have advised him against it.
Petreus and Crocker made a startling admission at the last hearing before Biden in my opinion when they effectively admitted that Afghanistan presented a graver threat to our interests than Iraq. It seems to me that Petreus and Crocker contradicted themselves when they fight against any withdrawal plan but at the same time, acknowledge that Afghanistan is a greater threat and yet, they nor McCain have not provided any idea as to how we can increase our troop presence in Afghanistan, except for taking troops out of Iraq and placing them in Afghanistan.
I can see him shifting troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. I don't see him completely withdrawing from Iraq by 2009, or by 2010 for that matter.
I think this is all about timing as well. He is going to Iraq so of course now he has to say I will listen to the Generals. Then he can say we are withdrawing the troops within......
