When faced with mounting casualties in the polls
Does a Republican.......
A) Try surreal optimism in suggesting that the insurgency is in its last throes (shutup Abizaid, shutup)
B) Attack the real enemy, as Bush's Brain farts in the general direction of them traitorous liberals.
or
C) Try some reality, saying we could be fighting there for 2-12 years.
with a little luck option C will gain more and more traction in the administration.
I'd even predict that if the public isn't continually promised the candy coated version, they might tend to back it a little more.
At the very least, it seems to be a previously unused tactic.......