People with solemn faces..like Brit Hume or Lou Dobbs or even David Gergen might give you that solemn look, one eyebrow slightly raised ..to suggest that Barack Obama might be just a bit "one bridge too far" by holding to a 16 month withdrawal plan.
Maybe you've had the thought that Barack might lighten his load by saying ... 16... 18... whatever it takes to do it right and safely.
Have you noticed that all of this is worrying is contigent on something.
That "something" is of great significance. The operating assumption is that Iraq in 16 months will be much like Iraq today. McCain seems to think so. "It might be too soon. We might give up the gains we have made."
Why would Iraq be in a similar state to today's 16 months from now?
IF Iraq IS in a similar state to today's situation in 16 months... what logical conclusions would one draw from that ?
If you gave the current government of Iraq "16 months notice" of intent to redeploy, and began to implement it.. why do we presume that Iraq remains frozen in 2008 as America enters 2010?
Its worse than that. Read on.