You say augmentation. I say escalation. All together now: "let's call the whole thing off."

Lectures from the Dissembler in Chief and his remaining sycophants notwithstanding, the premise of his January case for a surge in troop strength (a decision a chimpanzee could have told you was made long before) no longer holds water. The Petraeus Report will be in Bush code.

My prediction is that in the long run it will be no more significant than a Bob Graham bowel movement log (as it were).

So much surrounding the issue has been pre-cast and foretold to death. You may not know the exact words but you know the gist. The codebreaker needs few tools to read that more time is needed for further bullying of the Iraqi government. Ergo, more troops must sacrifice.

In the sense that teachers doing their professional, level best and having to let the chips fall where they may is really leaving children behind, withdrawing our presence and letting Iraqis decide what's best for Iraqis is actually against our best interests.

Define we, white man, goes the old joke.

If it comes from the ass of a right or a left wing think tank, it's still poop, in my book. The rules ought to be that if you're making stuff up, you just dropped out of the debate. (Where's a strict constructionist judge when you need one?)

Given a minimal amount of salesmanship, and Dubbya's is always geared up and ready for action, the average Joe falls for these gimmicks every time.

The hope created by a light at the end of the tunnel that's just around the corner unless we go backwards as he defines it is based on the necessity for oil contracts and military base agreements, I suspect, not the flowering of any philosophy, not respect (in the true sense of the word) for the American soldier.

When Middle America comes around to calling Bush a liar, his misadventure will be toast. If I do it, I'm just another pajama-wearing, guitar player pundit. Pffft.

His hope is to bluff and cajole until the buck can be passed along. Then, the dissatisfaction among Democrats might even ... no, just don't go there.

Remember always that such a political maneuver, classic as it may be in the annals of such things, right up there with dead guys voting and voter rolls purged for advantage, would be made possible by your United States Armed Forces.

Boo-rah!

How's that slot on Mt. Rushmore holding up, Mr. President?

No, sir, it was just rhetorical. Don't send the black helicopters; just ask Laura or read a classic.

We are not "kicking ass" in Iraq. Quite the contrary: we are repeating history. There is no suspense. This will be the week that it will be. In your heart of hearts: you've known that since the "thumpin'."