On the July 29 edition of the NBC-syndicated Chris Matthews Show, U.S. News & World Report columnist Gloria Borger falsely suggested that Democratic proposals for troop withdrawal from Iraq involve “withdraw[ing] overnight. ”While discussing what NBC News White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell described as the “enormous costs of getting out” of Iraq, Borger asserted that “this is such a problem right now for the Democrats ... [b]ecause privately, many of them will say ... that you can't withdraw overnight ... that it would be dangerous for us to do that.” O'Donnell agreed, saying, “Mechanically, you can't do it.” But Borger offered no examples of a leading Democrat who wants to immediately withdraw all troops from Iraq. To the contrary, the withdrawal proposal recently supported by Senate Democrats would have reduced troop levels in Iraq over the next nine months and would have retained residual forces in Iraq to conduct limited operations.

As Media Matters for America has noted, the recently debated amendment to the fiscal year 2008 defense authorization bill -- offered by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) -- calls for a “reduction” of U.S. forces in Iraq but also stipulates that the United States maintain a “limited” troop presence there to protect U.S. and coalition infrastructure, train Iraqi security forces, and conduct counterterrorism operations. Under the amendment, the reduction in U.S. forces would “be implemented as part of a comprehensive diplomatic, political, and economic strategy that includes sustained engagement with Iraq's neighbors and the international community for the purpose of working collectively to bring stability to Iraq.” The Levin-Reed amendment further stipulates that "[t]he Secretary of Defense shall complete the transition of United States forces to a limited presence and missions as described" in the legislation by April 30, 2008. Republicans ultimately blocked an up-or-down vote on the amendment.

From the July 29 edition of the NBC-syndicated Chris Matthews Show:

O'DONNELL: There are enormous costs of getting out.

MATTHEWS: So, we are here for the duration of this presidency?

O'DONNELL: Oh, without a doubt.

BORGER: And can I say that this is such a problem right now for the Democrats, as we see them not only debate in Congress, but also in all of their presidential debates. Because privately, many of them will say -- and [Sen.] Joe Biden [D-DE] has even said it publicly -- that you can't withdraw overnight --

O'DONNELL: No.

BORGER: -- that it would be dangerous for us to do that.

O'DONNELL: Mechanically, you can't do it.