President Obama has settled on a troop withdrawal plan from Iraq, and has one of the most unlikely supporters possible - Senator John McCain. If you’ve already forgotten, McCain and Obama kinda were opponents in this whole presidential election deal (you remember that, right…the thing that lasted two years and at one point included Ron Paul and Bill Richardson?), and McCain at one point said that Obama would “would rather lose a war than lose a campaign.” Yeah. That McCain is tentatively supporting Obama’s troop withdrawal plan. Sources say McCain found the plan “thoughtful and well prepared,” according to the New York Times.

Mr. McCain and other Republicans emerged from a meeting with Mr. Obama at the White House on Thursday evening reassured that the president’s withdrawal plan is responsible and reasonable. After securing assurances from Mr. Obama that he would reconsider his plans if violence increases, Mr. McCain and the Republicans expressed cautious support. [New York Times]

That’s quite an about-face. Now, here’s where it gets even more “wait, what?” Because part of President Obama’s plan is to leave 35,000 to 50,000 troops in Iraq after this phase of fighting, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (both Democrats) are less than thrilled. Reid says that 50,000 is “a little higher number than I anticipated,” while the New York Times has Pelosi as “particularly upset.”

So, um. Obama promises ending the war, he comes through with a plan, McCain (and even Mr. “Oh. My. God. John Boehner is okay with it) says thumbs-up, Democratic leadership says thumbs-down. Weeeeeeellll. Bipartisanship!

If you’d like to support a less violent army, takepart with the Salvation Army.