Monday, December 11, 2006

Republican defections from the pro-Iraq war camp

Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon is the latest.
Don't be confused by the obstinate rhetoric of the president or his hilariously unpersuasive press secretary, Tony Snow.
Despite the inclination of the WH to give the back of the hand to some of the key provisions in the ISG report, the reality is that Bush's position is literally unsustainable. The Congress is going to change hands in January, his approval rating is about 30%, public support for the war is declining, and the situation on the ground is not improving.
The present ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad is about to tapped to replace Bolton at the UN. While Khalilzad was an early supporter of the war, his statements from Baghdad indicate that he is not at all confused about how tenuous the U.S. situation is there. He was also an advocate for speakign with Iran--and was reined in Cheney & Co. What better place is there to have routine cointacts with Iranians than the U.N.?

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