John Kerry Has a Plan

What better place to write something goofy than at the Huffington Post?

Yesterday, John Kerry offered his plan for Iraq.

So far, Iraqi leaders have responded only to deadlines -- a deadline to transfer authority to a provisional government, and a deadline to hold three elections.

Now we must set another deadline to extricate our troops and get Iraq up on its own two feet.

Iraqi politicians should be told that they have until May 15 to put together an effective unity government or we will immediately withdraw our military. If Iraqis aren't willing to build a unity government in the five months since the election, they're probably not willing to build one at all. The civil war will only get worse, and we will have no choice anyway but to leave.

If Iraq's leaders succeed in putting together a government, then we must agree on another deadline: a schedule for withdrawing American combat forces by year's end. Doing so will empower the new Iraqi leadership, put Iraqis in the position of running their own country and undermine support for the insurgency, which is fueled in large measure by the majority of Iraqis who want us to leave their country. Only troops essential to finishing the job of training Iraqi forces should remain.

Blah, blah, blah...

Naturally, Kerry goes on and on and on.

The heart of his plan -- If the Iraqis don't have an effective unity government together by the Ides of May, then it's time to say adiós.

This is all just lame grandstanding.

Kerry wants some headlines.

His plan is full of holes.

Who decides what constitutes an "effective unity government"?

Democracies are always works in progress. What are the criteria to judge its effectiveness?

The only thing concrete about Kerry's plan is the May 15th date, roughly a month from now.

He's typically vague about everything else, which renders his plan meaningless.

It's clear that Kerry's plan is worthless, even before one examines the merits of setting an arbitrary timetable for troop withdrawal.

After one considers that, Kerry's plan is as foolish as it is empty, completely devoid of value.

Perhaps his fund-raising is lagging behind, and he has determined it would be wise to follow in Feingold's footsteps, hoping to win support by showing that he can be just as misguided and extreme.

I think that the words "immediately withdraw our military" are sure to bring in at least a few bucks for Kerry from the far Left lib elite.