Despite conservative spin, timetables are a good thing!
The common conservative spin on timetables is that they somehow give the enemy a victory in Iraq. The President and his supporters will tell us that by setting up a timetable that we are telling the terrorists that we are defeated. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We have already won in Iraq. Saddam is gone and they have a new government.
Currently, the Iraqi government has no sense of urgency when it comes to fully taking control of their own safety. They have no reason to either. They know that President Bush, with his open ended policy, will keep sending more troops to defend their country for them. By setting up a timetable and telling them that we are giving you until September 2008 to take up the fighting for yourselves, we will give them that sense of urgency that will help to jumpstart their protection of themselves. H.R. 1591, which was passed by House Democrats, not only provides full funding for the troops, it also provides funding for the Iraqis to help them start their self defense. And when they are capable of providing for their own defense, our withdrawing will not be an example of our admitting defeat, it will be an affirmation of our victory in Iraq.
And what happens if the Iraqi people are unwilling to take over their self defense? Well, the answer to that is clear. If they are not willing to risk their own lives for their own protection, why should we be sending our brave men and women over there to die for them?
Supporting H.R. 1591 is supporting the war, supporting our troops, and supporting long term stability in the region. It is time for President Bush to stop leading us down his path. It is time for him to follow the path that was set up for him when the Democrats took control of Congress. Our country wants a change and our troops deserve a change and some time off for a job well done.