Wheels Come Off

The internecine warfare has begun:

...NBC News reports tonight that 11 Republican members of Congress pleaded yesterday with President Bush and his senior aides to change course in Iraq.

The group of Republicans was led by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Charlie Dent (R-PA), and the meeting included Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, and Tony Snow. One member of Congress called the discussion the “most unvarnished conversation they’ve ever had with the president,” and NBC’s Tim Russert said it “may have been a defining pivotal moment” in the Iraq debate.

You can look at the whole Keith Olbermann report with Tim Russert reporting, excellent. Overall, the most damaging leak (and remember, this is Republicans leaking on Republicans):

“The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There is no longer any credibility. It has to come from Gen. Petraeus.”

Now everybody accepts as a given that Bush lies, even his own kind. Or, rather, those who threw their lot in with him. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) is also running around off the farm.

Why now?

Bush's veto last week was not a good move for him. The GOP start pretending they'll be able to jump off the bandwagon in September and have enough time to rehabilitate themselves by the November 2008 National Election. Then it turns out on Tuesday that September is never:

"The surge needs to go through the beginning of next year for sure," said Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the day-to-day commander for U.S. military operations in Iraq. The new requirement of up to 15-month tours for active-duty soldiers will allow the troop increase to last until spring, said Odierno, who favors keeping experienced forces in place for now.

And who's going to believe anything Dick Cheney claims about progress with he has to wear a flak jacket getting off the plane, and now you have to wear flak jackets in the supposedly safe Green Zone.

Oh, and hope you enjoyed the Queen's visit, El Presidente. Your buddy over there is being run out of the British government for enabling your shithead war -- resigning, as it were; tally-ho.

Baby Bush to veto the next Congressional bill on Iraq, won't dare submit to a July review, be accountable to anyone but themselves again. I say go for it, Congress, Dem or defector GOP, make him veto it two more times.

Then begin impeachment hearings.