Opinion (William A. Niskanen): Time to declare 'mission accomplished'

President Bush is about to make good on his threat to veto a war spending bill that includes a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who says the "military mission has long been accomplished" and calls "the failure ... political," has challenged the president to propose a policy that could win congressional support.

The most likely near-term outcome appears to be a Bush veto without any alternative, followed by a funding bill with an "advisory" deadline or a series of short-term funding bills without deadlines until broader agreement on withdrawal can be reached.

If the Democrats want to attract enough Republican support to override President Bush's expected veto this week, they should adopt a course change of their own:

Declare victory and bring the troops home to flags flying.

Read the rest at the Pittsburgh Tribune