The Veto

Bush's veto statement yesterday was a masterpiece of dishonesty and contempt for the public. He adamantly refuses to tie any achievement of benchmarks by the Iraqi government to the gradual withdrawal of our troops from the middle of their civil war. That's not surprising, given the lack of accountability he's engendered in his own sorry Assministration. Remember "as they stand up, we'll stand down"? With roughly 20 months left in his disastrous Presidency, Chimpy is content to "stay the course" - - the so-called "surge" being an almost meaningless holding action focused on Baghdad - - until the mess is turned over to the next President, likely a Democrat. Then begins the "the Democrats stabbed us in the back" slime from the Rethuglicans, who are too dishonest and reckless to admit that they own this catastrophe and its repercussions.

There are growing signs, however, that some Rethugs on the Hill don't want to wait until September to bail on their leader, and will break ranks and force him to accept some benchmarks for the Iraqis to meet as part of the $120 billion funding package. They see 2008 looming, and are petrified of an electoral disaster. Good.

(photo: pictures of fallen soldiers make up a portrait of Bush)