Ooo, The Excitement!!

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush will tell the nation this week he plans to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq by about 30,000 by next summer, but will condition those and further cuts on continued progress, The Associated Press has learned.

In a primetime television address, probably Thursday, Bush will endorse the recommendations of his top general and top diplomat in Iraq, following their appearance at two days of hearings in Congress, administration officials said.

The White House plans to issue a written status report on the so-called "surge" on Friday, they said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush's speech is not yet finally drafted.

Bush was practicing the speech and putting the final touches on it even as the U.S. commanding general, David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker were still presenting their arguments on Capitol Hill.

So, just to be clear, if things go the right way in Iraq (and when have they ever?), then by next summmer (when rotations were ending anyway with no one to replace them) the President will bring the number of troops down to exactly where it was last summer, when we were talking about how we should bring troops home.

Golly, I can see why that would be worthy of a primetime address to the nation.