Warner calls for draw down; buys the PR spin on a war not yet lost

You gotta love these Republicans, and it's disappointing when the round-heeled ones locate a mic unattended by the usual suspects. John Warner is now calling for a "partial draw down" of troops in Iraq:

In what could be huge blow to the Bush administration's war effort, Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) has called for a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
At an afternoon press conference, Warner, the former chairman of the Armed Services Committee and one of the most respected voices in the Senate on military affairs, said the administration should withdraw 5,000 troops by Christmas. He stopped short of calling for a complete withdrawal, adding that there should be a reassessment of the situation after those first 5,000 troops withdraw.

"5,000 is not going to in any way denigrate the mission," Warner said. "But it will send a very clear signal ... that we're not going to stay forever."

This move could have major implications as the political war over Iraq intensifies heading into September in advance of a report by Army Gen. David Petraeus. But at this point, Warner's statement still only amounts to a recommendation to the president, and he pointed out that he does not support the full withdrawal of troops backed by Democrats.

In fact, Warner returned to the microphones near the end of a Capitol Hill press conference to say "this is not a timetable."

How do you like that? Warner is calling for a withdrawal before Petreus even gives his report. I guess he saw the NIE earlier today and decided now was as good a time as any to call for a partial pullout. Nevermind that the NIE says that any shift in troop strength could be bad. Nevermind that the military side of the surge shows levels of measured success. Let's just start the process now.

Someone want to start up a drive to get this comedian out of the Congress before he screws something else up, please?

Publius II