Harry Reid accused the Senate leadership with "gamesmanship" by calling for a vote on a John Kerry proposal to withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of the year.

While there is undoubtedly some political benefit to calling Democrats on their bluff, its isn't as completely cynical as Reid would have you believe.

While Democrats were again, quick to call Bush's surprise visit to Baghdad a "stunt", the reality was that it was a calculated affirmation of confidence in the new Iraqi government and a symbol of American committment to Iraqi democracy. The Senate vote serves much the same purpose, with the added benefit of putting Democrats back on their heels.

As it turned out, only six Democrats voted for the proposition:

Kerry called the vote "fictitious" and promised further debate next week on the issue. He and five other Democrats were in the minority on the vote — Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Barbara Boxer of California, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts.

No surprises there, but their votes are irrelevant--cut and run is dead as an issue. We will stay in Iraq until we win.

The irony is that we probably will see troops start coming back, perhaps by the end of the year, but for the right reasons--because they aren't needed in Iraq.