A sampling of Gregory’s comments from the MTP transcript, with back and forth with Chuck Todd:

MR. TODD: He’s used not just “time is right,” but he…

MR. GREGORY: Right…

MR. TODD: …threw in the word “timetable,” which is–the Obama campaign said, you know, that, that–”Thank you for that release.”

MR. GREGORY: It is important, though, McCain and the president will argue, if not for the surge, there–you would have never been at a point where you could have…

MR. TODD: That’s a big shock…

MR. GREGORY: …this sort of parity between Obama and the Iraqis.

MR. TODD: That’s a big shock for Joe Voter, though.

MR. BROKAW: Yeah.

MR. TODD: Joe Voter in Rolla, Missouri, is sitting there going, “You know, I really would like to get out of Iraq. Oh, and hey, Iraq wants us out.”

MR. GREGORY: Yeah.

MR. TODD: “Let’s go.”

Regardless of a potential argument that the surge has created an atmosphere where troop withdrawals are possible, Gregory’s argument is dubious. As many publications have documented, the surge has been constructed in a way that could fall apart quite quickly. If a troop withdrawal were to take place, much would have to change, concerning the internal dynamics to the surge strategy and diplomacy in the region. The surge, as has been noted by many, is a temporary solution that does not address a longer-term post-colonial issue.

Andrew Sullivan and the Daily Dish have a post concerning the Maliki comment to Der Spiegel that suggested Iraqi support for a withdrawal timetable. Der Spiegel stands by its reporting. It seems that Obama’s 16-month troop withdrawal goal is actually the first opportunity that Maliki has had to voice support for such a proposal, suggesting a level of independence from the Bush Administration. So in some backwards way, the discussion of the necessity for troops to be removed from Iraq has created a government that may actually be representing the interests and desires of its people. A USA Today Opinion piece claims that 72% of Iraqis would like the troops to leave. The raw numbers to that poll are here.

Steven Simon, in Foreign Affairs, suggests that a comprehensive diplomatic strategy will be necessary to draw down troops:

“It is all the more vital, therefore, that the drawdown take place as part of a comprehensive diplomatic strategy designed to limit these risks. The interval between a decision to withdraw and the removal of the bulk of U.S. forces should provide the space in which the UN can convene a multilateral organization to foster a reconciliation process in Iraq.”

What Simon argues for is a clear departure from the present administration’s foreign policy approach.

Whether David Gregory understands it or not, both Americans and Iraqis want the troops out of Iraq (which Chuck Todd points out). The surge is relatively unrelated, when considering the larger issue of a pragmatic strategy for actually leaving Iraq.

Mr. Gregory’s speculative and inaccurate comments are not surprising, given his strange reaction to reality elsewhere.

The National Review seems to be grasping at straws for ways to enter the narrative of this election. Understandable, when the McCain campaign has such difficulty setting a tone for its own campaign. This article, by a rather obscure and seemingly radical right-wing blogger, lends proof to such a statement. Her blog, however, seems to have disappeared…