Read this - David Brooks, the New York Times employee and resident Republican lap dog talks about how the next President (dem) will fare IF they leave Iraq as promised in the first 12 to 18 months. But what’s more telling here, other than the typical drubbing you can expect from Brooks is that in arguing against incoming Democratic President, he lays out a perfect and reasoned example of what a catastrophic failure the Republican Party and G.W. Bush have been…and why. As well, Brooks tells us alot about himself. After all the lies and deceptions, he still believes in this goverment and its intelligence (snark) organizations. Brooks doesn’t believe his own lying eyes or ears.

When Reality Bites

Both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have seductively hinted that they would withdraw almost all U.S. troops within 12 to 16 months. But if either of them actually did that, he or she would instantly make Iraq the consuming partisan fight of their presidency.

There would be private but powerful opposition from Arab leaders, who would fear a return to 2006 chaos. There would be irate opposition from important sections of the military, who would feel that the U.S. was squandering the gains of the previous year. A Democratic president with few military credentials would confront outraged and highly photogenic colonels screaming betrayal.

There would be important criticism from nonpartisan military experts. In his latest report, the much-cited Anthony Cordesman describes an improving Iraqi security situation that still requires “strategic patience” and another five years to become self-sustaining.