A ridiculous story from Roll Calll. Apparently the Dems are only setting a timetable for withdrawal as a favor to Bush–to give him leverage in dealing with Iraqi leaders. From the Roll Call:
But Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said that for all the president’s objections to setting a timetable for withdrawal, Bush actually has told him personally that it is “useful” for the Iraqis to hear that support in the U.S. is waning for a continuing troop presence in Iraq.
“What we’re doing here is giving [the White House] leverage with the Iraqi leaders,” Levin said, indicating that the president is using the Democratic “bad cops” position to pressure Iraqis to improve training and readiness of their own troops and security personnel.
Levin said that, despite the president’s private acknowledgments that the Democrats’ Iraq language is serving a constructive purpose, “he’ll veto it, because he wants to be the good cop.”
(HT Influence Peddler)
