We think Sen. John McCain is pretty sincere when he says he wants MORE troops sent to Iraq.
We also believe, however, that McCain didn't seriously think The Decider would follow such advice, and so figured he was pretty safe for the next two years as things inevitably continue to deteriorate in Iraq.
Now it looks like there's a good chance W will "go big" by sending an additional 15,000-30,000 troops to Baghdad next year. It's a risky gambit--if things don't get better, or if American casualties start to increase, Bush's popularity will sink ever lower. Yet, since voters won't be able to take out their frustrations on Bush, McCain (and congressional Republicans in general) could become the lightning rod for voter anger.
The problem for McCain is that, having called for more troops, he lacks control over how they are used and managed. He certainly won't be sleeping well knowing that Bush the Incompetent is calling the strategy if more troops are sent over. Nor will anyone give McCain a free pass if he argues, after things go further south, that he would have handled the details differently.
Of course, there is an upside. Maybe the plan will work. We're not holding our breath, and we're not looking forward to paying for it (ok, borrowing against our kids' futures to pay for it) either.
We hope Bush will spare McCain the embarassment, by coming to his senses and realizing that the folks pushing for more troops are the same ones that pushed him into this mess in the first place.
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