Over at The Corner, the National Review’s group blog, Kathryn Jean Lopez thinks Bill Bennett’s suggestion to the GOP 2008 candidates is just ducky:

Every candidate for the GOP nomination needs to stand up right now. In fact, I’d urge them to hold a joint press conference and stand up and say a) they support the troops and their mission; b) they believe in giving Petraeus and Lynch and their boys a chance; and c) that they will do everything in their political power to lead us through to victory, rather than retreat. It would be a heluva statement and a necessary corrective to the national debate. They should get together on this and do it next week. It would make the cover of every paper and we think it’d show the American people and the world that while we are divided on some things, we are not divided on war—at least one party in America is not divided. Guys, do this.

I’m on board - I really, really hope the GOP candidates do exactly this.

Endorse open-ended war. Let’s give Petraeus a chance, in fact an endless number of chances. Stop talking about this “surge” nonsense, as if it’s going to produce a change in one more Friedman or three.

If we have to be in Iraq for the next decade - taking these casualties, spending $12 billion per month, hoping against hope that there will be some magical political reconciliation - let’s make it absolutely crystal clear to the American public that this is exactly what the Republican Party plans to do. Things aren’t going well in Iraq now; so we shall remain until they start going well, whenver that might be. And if things don’t improve?

Why, then the Republican Party has just endorsed staying in Iraq forever.