The upcoming Iraq election is indeed the final corner to be turned. As Yglesias says, it is the last chance to pull out on our terms. It's going to be messy no matter what, but it's the final chance to say "mission accomplished! we're out of here."
The alternative is 2-3 troop deaths a day until that point that the people in power decide 2-3 troops deaths per day isn't worth it anymore. Since no one can really define what "it" is, and the president has equated leaving with losing, that day is unlikely to come until we have a new president or a sufficient number of Republicans rebel. Sadly, I don't put much faith in that last possibility. While it's somewhat difficult for pro-war Democrats to change their mind and save face, it's almost impossible for the Republicans who went Full Metal Jingo on this war to do so.
Keep digging...
