WP, Eugene Robinson: George of Arabia, "Resolute Amid the Wreckage"

[DeepModem Mom]

Resolute Amid the Wreckage
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, July 10, 2007; Page A15

Don't think it's over, folks. Even though Republican senators are coming to their senses about George of Arabia's tragic war in Iraq, and even though Democrats seem to have remembered why voters put them in charge of Congress, no one should be lulled into thinking there's any guarantee that sanity will prevail.

This is the Decider we're talking about, after all.

Pay attention to what White House spokesman Tony Snow said yesterday, knocking down a report that some presidential advisers were advocating troop withdrawals: "There is no debate right now on withdrawing forces right now from Iraq."

I suppose that second "right now" in Snow's response leaves open the possibility that officials are talking about a pullout sometime in the near future. But I doubt it. Allowing himself to be forced to retreat from Iraq would ruin George W. Bush's fantasy of someday being seen as a latter-day Churchill. Bush keeps a bust of the British leader in his office, and he has praised Churchill as being "resolute."...

***

I don't see how anyone can realistically expect Bush to change course at this late date. It wouldn't be "resolute," in his understanding of the word, to acknowledge that he made a terrible mistake....He is already demanding more time, beyond September, for his "surge" to work. If that doesn't fly, he can announce yet another "new" approach to fighting the war. If no one buys that, he can agree to simply shuffle U.S. forces around.

And if all else fails and Congress summons the will to mandate a timetable for withdrawals, Bush can counter with an offer to bring some troops home. After all, he boosted troop levels by more than 28,000 for the surge. He could withdraw that number and there would still be as many U.S. troops in Iraq as there were at the beginning of the year.

Democrats and war-weary Republicans on Capitol Hill are doing what their constituents want them to do -- push George Bush to face reality in Iraq and bring American troops home. I just don't see any signs that their message is getting through....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/09/AR2007070901398.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[Olney Blue]

1. I think Eugene Robinson is my soul-mate. Another fantastic piece

that expresses exactly how I feel!

[DeepModem Mom]

2. He seems to get better and better. nt