An unrealistic troop withdrawal plan for Iraq, one that's hastily concocted, is far worse than no plan at all.

But that's the regrettable situation in the U.S. House, which has proposed a firm deadline for ending the war, a plan shaped more by U.S. politics than by the goal of stabilizing the Iraqi government.

And it's a plan with little chance of making it off Capitol Hill: The U.S. Senate favors March 31, 2008, as a target withdrawal date, unlike the "date certain" proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Even if it cleared that hurdle, it's sure to hit the brick wall of White House opposition.

Under this strategy, final withdrawal would be set for Sept. 1, 2008 — notably, just before the U.S. election. It would be pushed even earlier if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki failed to meet benchmarks for assuming control of security, distributing oil revenue and opening the constitution to amendments.

While it makes sense to hold Maliki's feet to the fire, a more measured redeployment to non-combat roles, something akin to the Senate plan, seems more pragmatic.

It's at least more rooted in reality than the fiction House Democrats propose: an abrupt end to this ugly war.