POLJUNK

As the war that was supposed to take "weeks, not months" rolls into its fifth year, President Bush is pleading with the American public to be patient. With support for the war plummeting and Democrats moving to put limits on the President's war powers, I guess he has to beg for it.

Oddly, he resorted back to the Administration's old trick of downplaying the time and effort needed to "succeed" in Iraq saying that victory is possible, but "will take months, not days or even weeks."

Nobody seems to know just how Bush will turn shit around in Iraq in a matter of months but I doubt the timing of recent news surrounding detainees admitting to crimes far and wide is a coincidence.

Bush said his plan to send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to secure Baghdad and Iraq's troubled Anbar Province "will need more time to take effect," especially since fewer than half of the troop reinforcements have yet arrived in the capital. Bush added: "There will be good days and bad days ahead as the security plan unfolds." I guess he forgot about the additional support troops called up that actually push that "surge" number closer to 40,000.

For their part, Democrats are pushing a withdrawal of troops that's tied to the defense spending bill. It's a play right out of the GOP's book that will force the President to accede to their wishes or force him to "vote against money supporting the troops." Karl Rove must be pissing himself now that his own plays are working against him.

It's now a game of chicken and this President—his multitude of faults not withstanding—does not often blink. It's almost creepy.

Posted by Derek Phillips on March 19, 2007 3:49 PM | Permalink