Rove Muddies The Waters-- Or Tries

Four more years?

As the desperate McCain campaign dangles the idea of an "apolitical administration" and a one-term pledge to ingratiate himself to voters-- "Don't vote for that Muslim, foreign, inexperienced colored guy because even if everything you've ever read about me being a monster is true, I'll only be around for 4 short years"-- the éminence grise behind his campaign, is claiming Obama's VP pick will be "political." Rove was on Face the Nation yesterday dodging questions about McCain's bitterly vicious Rovian campaign and instead made the bizarre claim that Obama is "going to make an intensely political choice, not a governing choice." I'm no Arthur Schlessinger but I have studied some American history and I'd like to hear Rove tell us about all the presidential nominees who haven't made political decisions about who to select as a running mate. He can start with John McCain, who certainly isn't picking Mitt Romney because he likes him. He does like the idea of Michigan going for his ticket though.

"He's going to view this through the prism of a candidate, not through the prism of president; that is to say, he's going to pick somebody that he thinks will on the margin help him in a state like Indiana or Missouri or Virginia. He's not going to be thinking big and broad about the responsibilities of president."

Rove picked out Tim Kaine as an example of someone who would be in no position to accede to the presidency in an emergency. He's correct. Kaine is a worthless piece of crap-- though not nearly as worthless as McCain himself. And Obama is no more likely to pick Kaine and he is to pick McCain, despite the silly media chitter chatter.

Meanwhile McCain's absurd positions on Iraq were dealt a further blow today when reports started circulating that the Bush Regime is about to agree to Obama's plan for a phased withdrawal of troops, something very much in line with the demands of the Iraqi government. In an interview with Reuters, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said an agreement to replace the expiring UN mandate, including the timeline, was "very close" and would probably be presented to the Iraqi parliament in early September. McCain better get his tap dancing shoes out and practice a few new steps.

The United States must provide a "very clear timeline" to withdraw its troops from Iraq as part of an agreement allowing them to stay beyond this year, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday.

It was the strongest public assertion yet that Iraq is demanding a timeline. U.S. President George W. Bush has long resisted setting a firm schedule for pulling troops out of Iraq, although last month the White House began speaking of a general "time horizon" and "aspirational goals" to withdraw.

...Asked if Iraq would accept a document that did not include dates for a withdrawal, Zebari said: "No, no. Definitely there has to be a very clear timeline."

...A sticking point in the negotiations is Washington's wish that its troops be immune from Iraqi law. In July, Iraq's deputy speaker of parliament told Reuters lawmakers would likely veto any deal if this condition were granted.