Well, it's about time.

The Final Surge

Guardian (UK): President George Bush has told senior advisers that the US and its allies must make "a last big push" to win the war in Iraq and that instead of beginning a troop withdrawal next year, he may increase US forces by up to 20,000 soldiers, according to sources familiar with the administration's internal deliberations.

Mr Bush's refusal to give ground, coming in the teeth of growing calls in the US and Britain for a radical rethink or a swift exit, is having a decisive impact on the policy review being conducted by the Iraq Study Group chaired by Bush family loyalist James Baker, the sources said.

Although the panel's work is not complete, its recommendations are expected to be built around a four-point "victory strategy" developed by Pentagon officials advising the group. The strategy, along with other related proposals, is being circulated in draft form and has been discussed in separate closed sessions with Mr Baker and the vice-president Dick Cheney, an Iraq war hawk.

Point one of the strategy calls for an increase rather than a decrease in overall US force levels inside Iraq, possibly by as many as 20,000 soldiers. This figure is far fewer than that called for by the Republican presidential hopeful, John McCain. But by raising troop levels, Mr Bush will draw a line in the sand and defy Democratic pressure for a swift drawdown.

The reinforcements will be used to secure Baghdad, scene of the worst sectarian and insurgent violence, and enable redeployments of US, coalition and Iraqi forces elsewhere in the country.

OK, looks like I was wrong on this one. Go Bush.

I think I can hear Murtha screaming...

EDIT:

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter.  "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the man.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up.  What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven.  Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.  The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.  In the distance is a clubhouse. Standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress.  They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf; and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes.  They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

"Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time.  Before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven.  Now choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers:  "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. "I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse.  We ate lobster and caviar, drank
champagne, danced and had a great time.  Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

 The devil looks at him, smiles and says,

 "Yesterday we were campaigning...... Today you voted."

1 week

OK, so let's recap. One week after the mid-terms, the Democrats have done all of things that the Republicans predicted they would pre-election. They have:

• Called for all troops to be pulled out of Iraq within the next 6 months.
• Considered legislation scrapping the Border Security Mandate, including the new 700 miles of security fencing.
• Called for tax increases
• Called for illegal amnesty and a guest worker program
• Called for "health care reform" that would set up a system like Canada's.

It's funny to me how easy it is to predict these guy's every move. I had this pinned weeks before the election. Before Lady Liberty's blood is even cold, the Democrats will show their true stripes and begin implimenting liberal policies that will weaken the country, at home and abroad. Now we'll have to see whether any of this will actually hold up.

In other news, never have I had such an easy victory as the one over Info_Warrior. It took an entire three comments to make him run for the hills in terror of my intellectual superiority (and my modesty). I guess all of the big words and proper punctuation made his little pea-brain ache something fierce. Too funny. Not only is he an idiot, but also a bigot. Both types of people are easily defeated, but I mean, come on. This wasn't even a challenge.

But that's not to say it wasn't fun.

That Didn't Take Long

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats, who won control of the U.S. Congress, said on Sunday they will push for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq to begin in four to six months, but the White House cautioned against fixing timetables.

"First order of business is to change the direction of Iraq policy," said Sen. Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who is expected to be chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the new Congress.

Democrats will press President George W. Bush's administration to tell the Iraqi government that U.S. presence was "not open-ended, and that, as a matter of fact, we need to begin a phased redeployment of forces from Iraq in four to six months," Levin said on ABC's "This Week" program.

Bush has insisted that U.S. troops would not leave until Iraqis were able to take over security for their country, and has repeatedly rejected setting a timetable for withdrawal because, he says, that would only embolden the insurgents.

The White House said, however, that Bush is open to new ideas. Bush will meet on Monday with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group that is expected to recommend alternative policies in its final report.

Yes, just as predicted, and perhaps even sooner, the Democrats are calling for liberal foriegn policy changes before the election results are even finalized. Now, Bush will do one of two things:

1) He will continue to duck and cover, and he will cave under the pressure of the Democrat-controlled Congress. They will force legislation like this on him and he will do nothing about it. He will continue to turn blue and shmooze with the Democrats.

2) He will act like a man who deserves to be President, and tell the Democrats where to stick it. Let Gates have some time to turn this thing around.

To my disappointment, I am counting on option one based on Bush's actions over these past few days. Let's all pray that I'm wrong on this one.

Currently Reading Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America By Newt Gingrich see related

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