Washblog

John Edwards wants the troops out in "about a year".

Barack Obama wants a phased re-deployment to have combat troops out of Iraq by March 31, 2008, but would leave residual troops to engage in counterterrorism and to train Iraqi forces (a target for sectarian violence).

In other words, the media-anointed frontrunners all want to wait to get troops out of Iraq and then leave troops in Iraq.

So what does Bill Richardson's plan do?

Specifically, Governor Richardson is calling on Congress to deauthorize the war in before it recesses on June 30. That's 17 days from now. If Congress passes a resolution to deauthorize the war, President Bush loses all authority to continue his warmongering. Deauthorization can't be vetoed, and the President would legally be required to bring our troops home.

Congress can and should end this war now. According to the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy blog:

The Supreme Court has been clear and unambiguous.  When Congress, acting in the vast areas of overlapping power, tells the President "no," the President must comply.  Thus, Congress may limit the scope of the present Iraq War by either of two mechanisms.  First, it may directly define limits on the scope of that war--and forbid the President from exceeding these limits--such as by imposing a ceiling on the number of troops assigned to that conflict.  Second, it may achieve the same objective by enacting appropriations riders that limit the use of appropriated funds.  Indeed, the reason that the Constitution limits military appropriations to two years is to prevent Congress from abdicating its responsibility to oversee ongoing military engagements.