DEADLINE

Both the House and the Senate have passed funding bills for the war in Iraq. While the bills are slightly different, they both demand an absolute final date for pulling out. The administration is totally pissed.

Their argument – the exact same argument made by Richard Nixon during the Viet Nam war – is that if we announce a deadline for departure the enemy, those clever bastards, will simply sit back, wait till we leave, then pounce on the helpless population. Sounds pretty reasonable, eh?

Here’s where that argument goes south. It doesn’t matter whether or not we announce a pull-out date. It doesn’t matter if we pull out in March of 2008 or September of 2009 . . . WE’RE LEAVING - SOON! We know it, they know it, everyone knows it. What are the chances we can trick them into thinking we’re staying forever by simply not announcing an absolute date of departure? Do you think these guys are stupid? They probably watch Hardball and You Tube.

The deadline isn’t for them, it’s for us. It’s a political tool to try and force an irresponsible, childish president to face reality. Get the job done or don’t, but on this date the war is over.

And by the way, when we do pull out of Iraq, there is about as much chance of terrorists following us home as there was that my desk in grade school could have protected me from a nuclear attack. It’s all part of one, incredibly big lie.

a foot on either side