Jim Geraghty likes to remind us that all of Barack Obama’s statements come with expiration dates, including his expiration dates. Rep. Jim Clyburn, one of Obama’s key allies in Congress, waltzes away from Obama’s commitment to a 16-month timetable for withdrawal from Iraq:

This doesn’t displease me, of course, except for the rank hypocrisy of Democrats like Clyburn during the campaign. He voted in favor of withdrawal timetables during the Bush administration. Clyburn also made headlines by lamenting the possibility of progress in Iraq, as it would impede his party’s attempts to impose timetables for withdrawal. Now, suddenly, Clyburn (and Obama) care about the recommendations of the generals on the ground and have no use for artificial timetables.

Talk about sunshine patriots! When Bush was in the White House, Clyburn did everything he could to undermine the war effort. Now that his ally has the job, Clyburn suddenly wants to play Wise Old Man. Feh.