(Video) Obama calls for withdrawal by 2008

In a speech today on the Senate floor, Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D) unveiled the Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007.  The resolution would place a cap on the number of troops that Bush could send, and begin the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq starting at the end of May, which would be completed by March 31, 2008.  Watch the speech below:

The Chicago Tribune explains that this redeployment proposal would be dependent on whether the Iraqis could step up to the plate and assume control of their own security:

If the Iraqis meet the benchmarks set by the BushAdministration, the redeployment could be temporarily suspended,although it seems that if the Iraqis make enough progress to meet thebenchmarks, that would make an even stronger argument for continuingthe redeployment, not suspending it.

In a nutshell, if passed, the resolution would change our open-ended policy in Iraq by letting the Iraqis know that if they don't step up, we will tell our soldiers to step out of the way.

Comments

[George]

Obama's latest book has a wonderful chapter called "politics". It discusses how the media influences politics among other things. Has anyone read this? I really enjoyed that chapter.

[Tony]

This sounds like another plan that the conservatives will just chalk up and file as "the dems have no plan" pile.

i haven't read his book and as a supporter i really should make add that to my "books to read" list.

Crooks & Liars have a video of Imus bashing O'Reilly for saying "for every book sold i will send a free book to the soldiers"

[ted K]

Is this yet another one of those "non-binding" resolutions?
I don't think congress can tell the Commander in Chief how many troops he can or cannot have.

But they can keep sending messages with these non-binding resolutions that embolden the terrorist.

Spineless, gutless wonders.

[George]

Ted,
The only reason they cant do more than something non-binding is because the Republican Part won't allow them to. So you may disagree with the theory of de-escalation but you can't call them spineless.

And the message they are sending to the rest of the world is this: We don't agree with our crack head leader. We are not all so dumb to think Iraq can be solved with 20000 more soldiers.

And I appreciate that message.

[Administrator: Todd]

LOL Ted, you know as well as I do that if they did offer a "binding" resolution, that you would get mad at them for that. No matter what the Democrats do, you will be mad at them, or invent a name for them.

[ted K]

These "non-binding" resolutions are pathetic.

Take a stand and cut funding to the military and force the President's hand if you think you are in the right.

And I watched the questioning by the Senate and Lieberman who asked the General if these resolutions would demoralize troops or embolden terrorists, to which he replied they would.

81-0 he was voted in.

Still these pointless resolutions..now who isn't listening to the Generals?

I like to use adjectives to help describe the progressive liberal "democrat" party.