As they should. I think they should stick to their own rhetoric and philosophy for getting behind a timetable for withdrawal. For example, Republican Presidential nominee John McCain:

quote:

MCCAIN: …this resolution establishes, in effect, a date certain for a vote on the commitment of United States forces to Somalia…I think we all realize that we have drifted from the use of force to secure humanitarian relief to an open-ended effort at peace enforcement and nation building. …the orderly way to stop it is for the President to present a plan for shaping U.S. withdrawal, set a date for that plan, and have the congress of the United States either endorse or reject such a proposal. -Senate floor speech, 9/9/93

And Republican Senator Jon Kyl, who voted for the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year 1999 to “require the President to submit Congress a plan for withdrawing United States forces from Bosnia and Herzegovina if the Congress does not so act by March 31, 1999.”

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_key...can_id=H0121103

And he again voted in favor of Military Construction Appropriations Act of 2001 that had provisions which forced Clinton to withdraw ground forces from Kosovo in July, 2001:

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_key...can_id=H0121103

In fact, lotsa lotsa Republicans are behind timelines and troop withdrawals:

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_key...2749&sort=party

And our Senator Feingold also lets us not forget how supportive a healthy number of Republicans were for cutting off funding for troops:

quote:

That was clearly understood in October 1993, when 76 senators voted for an amendment, offered by Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, to end funding for the military mission in Somalia effective March 31, 1994, with limited exceptions. None of those 76 senators, who include the current Republican leader and whip, acted to jeopardize the safety and security of U.S. troops in Somalia. All of them recognized that Congress had the power and the responsibility to bring our military operations in Somalia to a close, by establishing a date after which funds would be terminated. http://www.salon.com/opinion/featur...ource=whitelist

Why heck, even our President has finally come around to admitting a timetable is necessary:

quote:

"Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is." ... George W. Bush - 4/9/1999 http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_W._Bush “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.” George W. Bush - 6/5/1999 http://64.233.161.104/

I just knew I could count on my Republicans!

___________________
Whence September dusk grows crisper still,
with leaves all crimson conquered,
I yearn to shout,
and dance about,
and stick pickles in my honker...