The (Ex) Washington Realist

So what was the purpose of the hearings this week? I know the president will give a speech tonight on Iraq policy, but what conclusions are we drawing? I realize that by July 2008 we will have drawn down force levels back to what they were before the surge started, in other words, back to square one. Are we going to have a plan C (Amitai Etzioni's "plan Z" deals with devolution) where we abandon an Iraqi government unable or unwilling to meet our requirements and move to a prophylatic approach to sealing off the country?

I read about new amendments being proposed and all sorts of plans but can't say I feel particularly enlightened.