Frank Rich: He’s in the Bunker Now

[cal04]

(snip)
Mr. Bush’s own support from the American people is not coming back. His “new” Iraq policy is also in defiance of Iraqi public opinion , the Joint Chiefs, the Baker-Hamilton grandees, and Mr. Maliki, who six weeks ago asked for a lower American profile in Iraq. Which leaves you wondering exactly who is still in the bunker with the president besides the first lady and Barney.

It’s a very short list led by John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and neo-conservative dead-enders like William Kristol and Frederick Kagan, who congregate at The Weekly Standard and the American Enterprise Institute, the Washington think tank. The one notable new recruit is Rudy Giuliani, who likened taming Baghdad to “reducing crime in New York” without noticing that even after the escalation there will be fewer American troops patrolling Baghdad than uniformed police officers in insurgency-free New York City.

(snip)
I have long felt that it will be up to Mr. Bush’s own party to ring down the curtain on his failed policy, and after the 2006 midterms, that is more true than ever. The lame-duck president, having lost both houses of Congress and at least one war (Afghanistan awaits), has nothing left to lose. That is far from true of his party.

Even conservatives like Sam Brownback of Kansas and Norm Coleman of Minnesota started backing away from Iraq last week. Mr. Brownback is running for president in 2008, and Mr. Coleman faces a tough re-election fight. But Republicans not in direct electoral jeopardy (George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska) are also starting to waver. It’s another Vietnam-Watergate era flashback. It wasn’t Democrats or the press that forced Richard Nixon’s abdication in 1974; it was dwindling Republican support. Though he had vowed to fight his way through a Senate trial, Nixon folded once he lost the patriarchal leader of his party’s right wing.

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http://wealthyfrenchman.blogspot.com/

[illinoisprogressive]

1. Maybe he'll stay in the bunker and just talk to himself and leave the world alone

[jedr]

2. Can impeachment be far away? n/t

[Contrite]

3. The Democrats need to be able to say WE want it to end.

The more pressure the American people put on them, the better.

[autorank]

4. Thanks cal04. We're down to the "dead enders."

I'm sure that they 're sitting around comparing themselves to Churchill and so forth.

What a collection of miscreants. It's time to indict Cheney and then remove * for health reasons.
He's obviously feeling under the weather and needs a break at the ranch for the rest of the term.

Outrageous isn't it?

That's a nice blog, btw.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Yeah, there's a couple of phrases Rich has thrown in there

"in the bunker" and "dead-enders". Hmm, which national leaders do those make be think of?

[autorank]

12. Hmm...let me see....

Mr. Chips and Flipper...good grief, this is disturbing. We are in such trouble. We're watching meltdown of epic proportions and we have no idea who is doing what about it, if anyone is really doing anything. That speech of W's a few days ago will be one of the most watched ever in history at some point becasue we all knew something really strange and dangerous was going on but there is no one to pull back the curtain. But thanks for asking;) It will give me someting to think about.

[rhiannon55]

5. I have long had a vision of the little dictator holed up in the WH

refusing to come out, while a SWAT team makes plans to storm the West Wing. He might think he's president for life.:silly:

[fooj]

6. Ahnuld has joined the fray.

Wow. Little Lord Pissypants has some heavy hitters backing him. :spray:

[tanyev]

8. Laura, if you ever bail, please take Barney with you.

Poor Barney.

:cry:

[Canuckistanian]

9. Too bad Bush doesn't have a "patriarchal leader"

He's blown off EVERY old hand who isn't already in his cabinet.

[Demeter]

10. Hitler Had a Bunker, Too. Remember What He Did There?

Get out NOW, Laura, and your little dog, too!

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. Great editorial, no punches pulled, meticulously crafted and passionate, ala Rich. K AND R!

:kick: MKJ