Cheney's Fingerprint?

From yesterday's briefing, on the topic of possible Senate resolutions opposing Bush's escalation plan:

Snow: "As you know, and I've said many times, Osama bin Laden thought the lack of American resolve was a key reason why he could inspire people to come after us on September 11th. I am not accusing members of the Senate of inviting carnage on the United States of America. I'm simply saying, you think about what impact it may have.

"Q It seems as though you're suggesting that the Senate should not pass this kind of resolution because in fact it would somehow embolden the enemy.

"MR. SNOW: I just don't know. I don't -- I'm saying that that is something that they'll have to consider. And I'm sure they are."

Super Surge It

Jonathan Weisman and Shailagh Murray write in The Washington Post: "The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that Bush's plan to deploy roughly 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq is likely to require at least 15,000 support personnel, and possibly as many as 28,000.

"That could mean the plan would involve up to 48,000 troops and contractors, at a cost of between $9 billion and $13 billion for the first four months and up to $27 billion for the first year. . . .

"'The CBO report only confirms what we already know: The president has continually tried to hide the true costs of this war,' said Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on oversight and investigations."

Here's the CBO report.

With Support Like This . . .

Tom Vanden Brook writes for USA Today: "Curbing insurgent-led violence in Baghdad can be done with fewer troops than the 17,500 extra proposed by President Bush, Gen. George Casey told a Senate panel Thursday during a confirmation hearing on his nomination as Army chief of staff."

Casey's statement resulted in this exchange at yesterday's press briefing:

"Q Can I just go back to the question about General Casey and the brigade, saying he felt fewer than half of what the President has planned were needed. You say he supports the plan now. He says he does, but it seems like a very diplomatic way to say, not really, and I don't have to be there to carry it out. So who did the President rely on heavily when he made these decisions? The commander on the ground did not, it appears, agree with the President's bigger, larger plan for more brigades. The commander of Central Command apparently did not. So the President relied mostly on outside people, or the people who he was trying to get to go in --

"MR. SNOW: I've often been asked about internal deliberations, and I've always given the same answer, which is, I'm not going to characterize them. It is worth noting that General Abizaid and General Casey, both of whom you've described as being in opposition to the plan, publicly have supported it. And so I'll let you --