Iraq Withdrawal: Start The Ball

"Start the ball" was one of Sam Peckinpah's signature lines of dialogue, said by a character before the action erupted.

Well, as this week draws to a close, it's very clear that we may have reached a tipping point in public and political discourse about the war. Specifically, the idea of withdrawing our troops from Iraq is now being spoken out loud by members of both parties and also in the media, including the evening news shows. Polls show that more Americans than not no longer support the war and don't believe the human and financial cost was worthwhile. That's because it hasn't been. The president has not provided a rationale that can withstand the dismal reality of the situation in Iraq. The major media finally started covering the Downing Street memorandum and it has filtered down even to those who only get their information from tv and radio news. The right wing talk radio echo chamber have unwittingly spread it further. They have tried to debunk it, but they have to mention it first.

Those who didn't believe Richard Clarke and Paul O'Neill when they said Bush planned to invade Iraq well before 9/11 now have the Downing Street memo, a document from the intelligence service of our major coalition ally to consider. It seems to have swayed some of those who are not die hard believers in Bush to reconsider their support for the war and in Bush's pronouncements about it.

It is now possible for politicians and the media to talk about withdrawing from Iraq without being perceived as radical anti-Americans. The ball has started.