LA Times: "In a departure from previous statements, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said this week that the training of Iraqi soldiers had advanced so far that the current number of U.S. troops in the country probably would not be needed much longer President Bush will give a major speech Wednesday at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., in which aides say he is expected to herald the improved readiness of Iraqi troops, which he has identified as the key condition for pulling out U.S. forces...read on

It's part of the exit strategy when Republicans want to bring our troops home. Democrats are heralded as traitors when they broach the same subject.

In Dick Cheney's speech at AEI last week he said: "A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would be a victory for the terrorists, an invitation to further violence against free nations, and a terrible blow to the future security of the United States of America." (via Think Progress)

The '06 elections must be weighing heavily on Karl Rove's mind.