Bush Announces Iraq Drawdown, '08ers Chime in Post-Speech
'08-ers respond as Bush announces Iraq drawdown
September 13, 2007— -- It has been eight months since President Bush announced the new Iraq surge strategy and in that time we have heard every '08 presidential candidate weigh in on every aspect of the White House's policy: when U.S. troops should come home, how many should stay and how many should remain, what is the role of the remaining troops and what conditions need to be met for any sort of withdrawal?
After weeks of build-up, President Bush tonight announces the next step forward after the recent report from his top commander on the ground, Gen. David Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
ABC News' Jennifer Duck reports that the speech is being called the "Return on Success," (a title which frankly confuses us for its meaning and questionable grammar.)
The speech is an opportunity for the President to lay out the way forward as his own plan – not one from Gen. Petraeus. The President will say, "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home."
Specifically Bush will announce: - 5700 troops out of Iraq by Christmas (and not replaced)- 2200 Marines home this month (and not replaced)
The next progress report will come in March, when President Bush will direct Gen. Petraeus to return to Washington and brief Congress on where things stand in Iraq.
It's almost certain that the Democratic and Republican nominees will be decided by that point in March. The Petraeus Report 2.0, and the weeks of lead-up to his testimony on Capitol Hill, will make Iraq front and center in the early stages of the general election and the substance of that report could be key for one candidate to say that he/she is the candidate with the right plan going forward in Iraq.
John Edwards takes a unique approach in his response to the President's speech tonight. He bought two minutes of air time on MSNBC to personally rebut the speech after Bush delivers it.
You can view a short clip here:
Edwards will say that President Bush is "pressing on with the only strategy he's ever had: more time, more troops and more war."
