It's not uncommon. A presidential candidate pledges one thing on the campaign trail, then gets to the Oval Office and discovers that real life won't necessarily conform to campaign rhetoric.
Peacekeeping is a case in point.
As a candidate, George W. Bush said US troops should be used to fight and win wars, and peacekeeping in places like the Balkans should be left to others. Even one of the administration's greatest critics of the Bosnia mission, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, is now considering dedicating a certain portion of America's armed forces specifically to peacekeeping activities. As he undertakes a massive military review, Mr. Rumsfeld has said he needs to look not only ahead to possible new threats, but back at recent trends. Rumsfeld said last month. Coming to terms Observers on both the left and right describe a tempering in the administration's position on peacekeeping, necessitated by circumstances on the ground and concerns of allies.