The time is now. Concerning the surge, we have two things that are “right”, for the first time since the invasion of Iraq.

1. The violence level is low; Al Qaida and Iranian backed violence is now at the lowest levels since the original invasion, and the US and our allies have the majority of the country under control.

2. Iraqi forces are nearing levels where they can take over sovereign control on their own.

Now, here is what could be “wrong”, and it is dependent on the Iraqi Government. They might not be ready or capable of taking control and politically reconciling the major issues on which peace will depend.

The left has critically said, over and over, “The purpose of the surge was to provide an environment where political reconciliation, and meaningful legislation, which would stabilize Iraq, can take place. That has not happened. Therefore, the surge is not a success.”

Unlike the far left, most reasonable people understood that the time for political movement might lag a good bit behind the military action and success. However, that time, for political movement, starts NOW.

Mark my words, December 16th (give or take a week) is going to be seen in the eyes of those who both support the war, and also the critics of the current policies, as the time where we started our “stopwatch”, so to speak. I can tell you that the best sources are rumbling about the fact that people that both support and do not support the war in Iraq are now marking calendars, and looking at watches in Washington.

At this point, failure by the Iraqi’s to move forward on political issues is going to be seen as unacceptable by the US and our allies, by both those of the left and the right. And it will be seen as an opportunity by Al Qaida and Iran. And it is unlikely that any amount of patriotic right wing support is going to be able to stave off the assault if the Iraqi’s do not act politically well in the coming months.

Our national policy and diplomacy at this point is likely to ramp up, when it comes to the Iraqi government. The time for being patient is near an end.

While the left wanted to start the clock on the US forces and President immediately (prematurely) after the surge started, in all fairness to the issue, the time for that clock to start has arrived.

If they do not succeed, and with haste, the “wrong” will be committed. Although the left will try to paint it otherwise, it won’t be a U.S. failure, or a Bush or surge failure. I will be an Iraqi failure.

Unfortunately, I am not sure they are ready…