bush admitted for the first time yesterday that we are not winning the war in iraq. this morning he adopted a proposal he previously said would make the country less safe when john kerry proposed it during the 2004 presidential campaign.
it seems that bush is willing to do and say anything other than pull u.s. forces in iraq. no flip is too flop for him, so long as his glorious iraqi adventure doesn't end.
i used to think differently, but it's pretty clear that bush will not willingly order the troops home. in fact, the only scenario where i can still admit he might is if the big-wigs in the republican party conclude that iraq will ruin their chances to keep the presidency in 2008. it's not enough for bush when the generals object, when there is a broad public consensus that the troops must come home, or when he's told that the iraq war is endangering the country. it's already clear that none of that stuff moves him. but if he's told that iraq is hurting republican electoral chances, maybe then he'll finally see that withdrawal is really the only remaining viable solution.
