When September Ends: A "vast metaphysical question."

Remember when September was the moment of truth as to whether or not the surge plan was working in Iraq?
Tony Snow doesn't, as of today, although the press corps tried to jog his memory.

QUESTION: The president himself has said, not just in the Reuters interview but in others, that in September we will find out whether it's working. He's been blunt about it.

SNOW: Well, again, you'll be able to see what's going on at the juncture.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: He has said "We'll know whether it's working in September."

SNOW: OK, but what I'm saying -- OK.

QUESTION: Is that what you think?

SNOW: No, I think my concern is that the expectation that seems to be raised is that suddenly, in September, there may be an expectation that the report says, "OK, all the problems are solved."

No. But what will happen in September is that we will have an opportunity to assess what's going on. Yes, we'll have an opportunity to say...

(CROSSTALK)

SNOW: ... whether it is working -- whether it is working. That does not mean that we'll have all the work. It will not be completely successful at that juncture. "Is working" where you have it in the motion of a present imperfect, I think, is fine. So...

(LAUGHTER)

QUESTION: Is it a moment, though, for judging -- I understand the difference between -- it's not going to be over then, but is it the right time to judge whether the new way forward is working?

SNOW: Again, we'll see. We'll have to take a look. I just...

QUESTION: That sounds like backpeddling.

SNOW: No, it's not backpeddling. It's just it seems to me to be such a vast, metaphysical question.