There are a lot of hypocrites out there.  People often say, "Don't smoke" as they light up.  Bush is doing the same thing.  He tells the Democrats that they are providing aid and comfort to the enemy by trying to pass a timetable for Iraq.  He says all the enemy would have to do is wait us out.  This assertion may be true but why, then,  is everybody waiting for September to see if the "surge" worked?  This is an artificial timetable if I've ever seen one. Bush keeps saying that we will know if the surge is working by then.  Why will we know then as opposed to August, or November? The enemy now knows that they have to keep up the violence through September so that when we reassess the situation we will conclude that this escalation did not work.  He is endorsing the very thing that he just vetoed last week. 

So, what will happen in Sept. you ask?  I know one thing:  regardless of  what Bush says, we aren't going anywhere, even if the surge doesn't work.  As soon as it is shown to have failed (like all his other bright ideas)  he will still say we can't leave.  We have to try this new idea; and, oh by the way, any setback is all Gen. Paetreus' fault, not mine.  I don't know if Bush really believes the stuff he says or if there is some secret reason he feels so strongly about this fight but I do know we ain't going nowhere in the fall.  The only way we do is if enough Republicans join the Democrats to override his veto.  I personally can't imagine such a reconciliation because the Reps. would have to eat so many of their own bitter words.  A very painful prospect since Chris Matthews and others would replay the clips of them predicting hell fire and damnation if we pull out, so they will stay on board with the President.  The only good thing is that their dogged loyalty will kill any hope the Reps. have of holding on to the White House.  There is no way people are going to vote for a candidate who doesn't promise to end this mess on Jan. 20, 2009,   around noonish.  So get comfortable: it is going to be a long bumpy ride.