Republicans Cut the Deal and Run?

It's rumored that Bush, with the help of former Secretary of State, James Baker, may be preparing plans to exit Iraq, despite the fact that:

Such a strategy would once have been unthinkable for Mr Bush, who famously vowed to keep US forces in Iraq even if he was supported only by his wife, Laura, and dog, Barney. But the president now appears willing to acknowledge that the public is losing confidence in his administration's involvement in Iraq. On Wednesday Mr Bush admitted for the first time the existence of a parallel between Iraq and Vietnam.

Wow.
The Decider contradicted himself.
Iraq was compared to Vietnam.
The ground trembled.

Furthermore, the timing is odd.

Right before the election, mistakes are made, and admitted, and rumors swirl. It almost seems that as soon as the deal is cut on the rules for controlling Iraq's oil, which is due to happen any day and with the involvement of all the usual suspects (i.e., Bush's oil Cartel), the Republicans plan to "cut and run" out of Iraq, out of congress, and out of responsibility for the mess they made. As delighted as I am with the punishment the Republicans face at the polls, it makes me wonder.

Why did tricky Dick Cheney insist on keeping his energy policy meetings with oil executives secret? Why did meetings to set U.S. energy policy involve maps of the Iraqi oil fields? Was it the Bush strategy all along to cut the oil deal and run?

Related post: History Lesson
(Cross-posted at Ice Station Tango)