Voinovich to Unveil "Compromise" Iraq Plan

Hoping to build a bipartisan consensus, Sen. George Voinovich (R) will announce this afternoon what he considers a compromise plan for Iraq. His draft resolution calls for a "responsible reduction” in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq" but states that "the withdrawal of U.S. troops cannot be “precipitous” and the U.S. will be “engaged” in Iraq for the “foreseeable future." In other words, a few soldiers come home but basically the occupation continues indefinitely. Substantively, the measure mandates only the minimal reduction of 30,000 troops by next summer that was proposed by Gen. Petraeus (which merely reverses the "surge," and does so at the pace dictated by logistical limitations anyway). Otherwise, there are only vague calls for reductions and plans: a "“responsible reduction"” within 120 days of enactment, a "plan" for redeploying troops in Iraq and the Middle East within 180 days, and a "“plan" for reducing instability in Iraq” as our forces are reduced.

On the whole, much more of a capitulation than a compromise, and certainly the kind of toothless measure that will have zero impact on a White House that is determined to stay the course and hand off the headache of Iraq to the next administration.