Don't make book on it.

First of all, Congress is not authorizing that more troops be sent.

Because the Democratic Congress included the timeline for withdrawal in the funding bill, Bush threatened to veto the bill. Since there are not enough Democrats (or Republicans in agreement with the Democrats) in Congress to override a Presidential veto, at that point, it became an impasse. Pelosi is no dummy. She and the other Democrats know this.

Had the Democrats persisted in withholding funding because of the threatened veto due to the timeline clause, Bush could—and would—accuse them of "not supporting the troops." And if troops subsequently had to be withdrawn because of lack of funding, Bush could then say that the Democrats lost the war because they withheld funding. Had they provided the funding, Bush would claim, he could have won the war.

And if pigs could fly, there'd be pork in the tree-tops.

Everybody, including Bush (unless he is even denser than I think he is) knows that this war has turned into Vietnam redux.

Since the Democrats could not win on the time-line issue, by removing the clause and approving the funding, the Bush administration can no longer accuse the Democrats of not supporting the troops and then blame them for losing the war.

With the attempt to pass a timeline, the Democrats have made their point. Now, by doing the only thing they can do under the circumstances, they're giving Bush enough rope for him to hang himself. It tosses responsibility for the war—and losing it—right back in Bush's lap.

Don Firth