NUMBERS. ABC News is reporting that Bush will announce plans to pull 5,700 troops out of Iraq by the end of the year during tonight's speech. The New York Times reports that he's going to call for a troop reduction of 30,000 by July 2008. Both numbers are far below what most Dems would like to see. Granted, this does mark the first time Bush has described a plan for troop reductions, but does it really count as a move toward withdrawal if you're just going back to pre-surge levels? This figure is the bare minimum of what has to be done if he's to avoid extending the tours of servicemen already in Iraq. It's the equivalent of borrowing 100 bucks from someone, giving it back, and expecting a ticker-tape parade for not holding onto it longer.
--Kate Sheppard
