Predictions

I predict that the democrats will reply to the President's speech tonight like this:

There is no change in plans. The troops need to come home by the end of 2008 (prior to the election, at least) Petraeus's plan was a "rosy assessment", that THEY didn't authorise the troops to stay for "years and years", that the surge was NOT a success.....

I'll update later.

UPDATE:
Well, I was mostly right.

Rebuttal: No plan to successfully end the war in Iraq, no real change, stated surge was 9 mos long (even though the last unit entered in June), must redefine mission, not enough money for vets and children but 10 billion/month for war, new plan - counter terrorism and train Iraqis and use diplomacy, rapid and responsible redeployment, return to fighting AQ.

Where to start? Victory is the only successful end, change from defense to offense, surge 9 mos long and has not provided "breathing space" for Iraq govt to reconcile - surge isn't over,
redefine = surrender, no money - HA! see post on pork below, new plan is what we're doing now, diplomacy only works when the other side listens, redeployment = retreat, AQ is in Iraq, but TERRORISM is the enemy.

"Runaway Reid" - Bush only wants to "run out the clock and leave the hard decisions to his successor."

"Breck Girl" - Congress should cut off funds to the war now and force a retreat

"Mr. Foreign Relations" Obama - Bush presented false promises of success, same thing every 6 months, Progress has not happened, wants the UN (HA!) to convene a constitutional convention to jumpstart Iraqi reconciliation

"If the hsu fits" Hillary - to believe report, one must suspend disbelief

Like these guys say about Bush, you alway hear the same thing over and over, they have no new ideas.

Then again, treason is an old, old idea.