Time for a timetable

Kevin Drum got to this before me, but really, a timetable is a timetable unless, of course, the Republicans propose one:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 — The Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said.

So, just what is it that the enemy is going to assume we're going to do if the Iraqi puppet government misses one of these benchmarks? Seems to me they're not likely to understand the major difference between a Republican timetable and a Democratic timetable.