Call me oblivious, but I'm just taken back by the losses Bush has experienced recently, either by design or pure incompetence.
For example:
(A) Because she realizes that she can't do a damn thing to affect change in other countries, Condoleezza Rice changes course.
(B) According to polls, Americans are practically begging Pelosi and Democrats to take over during this, the weakest point of Bush's presidency.
(C) After almost four years of riding his fearmongering, poorly-planned war of terror, Republicans find it hard to quit Bush.
Funny thing is, even all those things wouldn't have mattered if Sens. Chuck Hagel and (now) John Warner hadn't made opposing escalation a truly bipartisan thing. You would think that Congress was finally embracing reality.
Then there's John McCain; the lil' devil perched on George Bush's shoulder, simultaneously destroying any support Bush may get from his base while making sure he reaps all the rewards for the Cheerleader in Chief's downfall. At least I don't have to hear anymore "Maverick" talk from the political bobbleheads; even they seem to get that the jig is up. In fact, on MTP McCain showed his hand, so to speak:
TIM RUSSERT: Senator, welcome. I want to raise first The Economist magazine, this is The Economist’s intelligence unit. They say this: "Unless their mission is very well-defined, 20,000 troops are probably too few to make a significant difference - and may be too few under any circumstances. ... Adding around 20,000 to the 132,000 currently there will increase U.S. capabilities, but not enough to stabilize the country." You agree with that?
SEN. McCAIN: I am concerned about it, whether it is sufficient numbers or not. I would have like to have seen more. I looked General Petraeus in the eye and said, "Is that sufficient for you to do the job?" He assured me that he thought it was and that he had been told that if he needed more he would receive them. I have great confidence in General Petraeus. I think he’s one of the finest generals that our military’s ever produced, and he has a proven record on that. He wrote the new Army counterinsurgency manual. But do I believe that if it had been up to me would there have been more? Yes, but one of the keys to this is get them over there quickly rather than feed them in piecemeal as some in the Pentagon would like to do today.
So McCain thinks more is needed (no big surprise there) and that more will come of "needed." And, unless I missed something, he made no mention of Congress' role in this process. Seriously, how is this back-tracking, pandering flip-flopper more popular than Hillary, let alone considered favorable? Sigh.