No matter how you read it, President Bush wants no part of any Iraqi troop withdrawal. He said in a best case scenario that by the end of his term our troops would be in a different role. The plan would still leave 100,000 troops on the ground in Iraq. No matter how you word it, it is still "stay the course".
What you are not hearing from the President is a way to end the occupation. The Republicans and even certain Democrats who stand right of center such as Hillary Clinton don’t want it to end. Her plan is in lockstep with Bush’s as far as endless occupation is concerned. The Republicans realize that there is too much money to be made to ever withdraw completely. They want the occupation to follow the "Korean model" with a scenario that leaves our soldiers in huge numbers still occupying Iraq for decades to come.
What you are not hearing from the administration, and even from most Democratic candidates, is the word "peace". There is no pressure on the Iraqi government to achieve a negotiated peace between the warring sects. There is no diplomatic corps from the U. S. over there attempting to get all sides to the peace table. It just simply is not on Bush’s radar screen.
There is no strategy to bring a real end to the occupation of Iraq. That strategy would include a diplomatic effort combined with, and equal in emphasis to the military effort. If we truly want peace and a real end to the occupation, the only major figure in the political arena who has a plan, commitment, and the talent to achieve this peace is Bill Richardson.