Yesterday, Kangro X wrote about September being the "key month" for Congress to determine whether the surge was working and, presumably, the month in which there would be numerous detractors from the Stay The Course™ strategy if it was determined that the surge was not working. From the post:
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who has taken a hard line in Bush's favor, said Sunday, "By the time we get to September, October, members are going to want to know how well this is working, and if it isn't, what's Plan B."
In other words, we Stay The Course™ if we see the surge working .
Today, via the New York Times, we see that the administration plans to Stay The Course™ if the surge is not working.
Gates also told the Senate Defense Appropriations panel that if the military begins to see progress in Iraq later this fall, including political reconciliation within the Iraqi government, the U.S. could begin withdrawing troops.
The Pentagon, he said, is ''looking for the direction of events -- we don't have to have it all locked in place and everything complete ... If (we) see some very positive progress and it looks like things are heading in the right direction, then that's the point at which I think we can begin to consider reducing some of those forces."
Thus, if we do not see progress in the fall, we're in there until we do. So, between the Republican leadership in Congress and the Republican leadership in the White House, it looks like we're never leaving, folks.