It’s Derb’s view, if I’m not mistaken, that the American public is willing to wait-and-see on Iraq through the elections, but if they prove a fiasco there will be substantial sentiment for pulling out. Following the course of the Rumsfeld scandal and judging from the political atmosphere generally, I hate to say that I’m beginning to agree with this analysis–not that we should pull out, but the public will begin to be for it. On the other hand, I’m an optimist about the elections. I think they will be, despite imperfections, a rousing Afghan-style civic statement. So I’m hoping it will never come to that.