On a matter of time

Okay, so there's been a lot of discussion about whether or not Bush has an exit strategy. He swears he has a plan (and what reason would we have not to trust him?), and that we just need to give it time to work.

And of course I wouldn't be so foolish as to insist on an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. It's a big deal, and things need to be planned. How quickly can you get Iraqi troops trained to take over (if, in fact, that's something you sincerely plan on doing)? How soon can the Iraqi government get the militias under control (if, in fact, that's something they sincerely plan on doing). At what rate should you start redeploying troops, and over what period of time, until the Iraqi people have regained control of their country?

If, in fact, that's, y'know, something you sincerely plan on doing.

The man says, "Give it time," and it's true that time can change a lot of things. F'rinstance, not too long ago, you were promising reports showing magnficient progress by September, and now you're saying that you were "way too optimistic." And just last year, Maliki was all, "Hey, pack your bags, y'all, 'cause Iraqi troops are taking over as of June 2007," and now he's fearful of a military coup. Things change when you give it time.

So maybe we just need to go ahead and give Bush's plans time to work. Maybe a couple of years. Maybe more than a couple; maybe fifty. Maybe we need to build an embassy the size of the Vatican, with a 16,000-square-foot house for the ambassador, while the rest of Baghdad is getting less than five hours of electricty a day.

And maybe, supplemental spending bill notwithstanding,

SEC. 3301. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this or any other Act shall be obligated or expended by the United States Government for a purpose as follows:

(1) To establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq.

(2) To exercise United States control over any oil resource of Iraq.

we need to gladly embrace the big ol' middle finger that our president is flicking us as he makes plans to maintain three or four bases throughout the country, and he'll stay there until he's good and ready to leave, because leaving is quitting and quitting is losing, and screw us for suspecting that he has no idea what he's doing and is only counting down the days until he's out of office and this whole mess is someone else's problem.

It's just a matter of time.