I think we have to set a date for withdrawal. The January elections (in Iraq) are a natural time.

They appear to have had a higher voter turnout in Iraq than we did in our recent federal elections, and we didn't have terrorists threatening to kill our families if we voted.

Elections are breaking out in the strangest places: Afghanistan, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Georgia, Ukraine. A genuine election in Lebanon would be a darn good thing.

As we watch the aftermath of the elections in Iraq, let's remember that while our own American culture remains young, our course of freedom is not.

If you pull out troops too quickly now, and you see the situation in Iraq collapse before the midterm elections, the impact is going to be far more serious than if you keep the troops in at reasonable levels.

This has included our support for the elections in Iraq, our securing the borders. We have done everything possible to secure the borders between Syria and Iraq.