Welcome to the tipping point, Mr. Bush. Someday, when you look back at your failed administration from the cushy confines of your half billion dollar Presidential Library, you'll see that this was probably the week you lost any last, remaining chance of convincing the American people that we could, should and will "win" your war in Iraq.
Could it only have been a couple of weeks ago that the Mainstream Media was dithering about how to justify using the term, "civil war?" Notice that this week, nobody gave it a second thought.
Here's another clue from your own White House: You have staffers practically stampeding to leak damaging documents to reporters. Sometimes it must look like the scene at a Wal-mart that's just received a new shipment of Playstation 3's for Christmas.
Of course, it took an official statement of the obvious from an officially sanctioned group of ultimate Washington insiders to allow many in the MSM (and several Republicans) to feel free to say what they really think about the war, but no matter. Let's review the week together.
Monday: Ok, let's just skip right over the sad image of your Dad weeping, ostensibly as he discussed Jeb's political setbacks. The thing is, an awful lot of people thought (and wrote) that he was thinking about you.
Tuesday: Your new Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, didn't hesitate before acknowledging that we're not winning the war in Iraq. No wonder he sailed through his Senate confirmation hearing.
Wednesday: The Big One, of course. The Iraq Study Group called you out for staggering ineptitude in Iraq, and surprise, surprise, the no-longer-dithering MSM went into anti-Bush war policy overdrive-- "Stinging Rebuke" was the cliché of choice and everybody used the report's phrase, "Grave and Deteriorating" to describe the Iraq situation. Ouch.
Thursday: With bad news everywhere, you actually said the following about the commission's findings:
"Some reports are issued and just gather dust. And truth of the matter is, a lot of reports in Washington are never read by anybody.To show you how important this one is, I read it."
Wow. Maybe that didn't come out exactly the way you meant it to.
Also on Thursday, a Republican Senator (Gordon Smith from Oregon) went to the Senate floor to describe his despair at the situation in Iraq. He used the phrase "it may even be criminal".
Friday: After all that, an AP-Ipsos poll reveals that nearly three quarters of Americans polled said they disapproved of your management of the war, and 90 percent said they didn't believe the war could end in a clear American victory. The country has turned against this war. What could you possibly say or do to reverse that?
(Also on Friday, there was the release of the truly unfunny, uncute White House Christmas video that went on endlessly. We all love dogs, Mr. President, but who the hell thought anybody, especially Republicans, wanted to see Karl Rove crowing about winning a part in Barney's Christmas video? Talk about clueless and tone deaf....But I digress).
Iraq Study group member (and Democrat) Leon Panetta declared that the commission's report was probably the last chance to unify the country "on this war." But the country is, in fact, unified, as demonstrated on November 7th. We want out. The question is how to do it without endangering more lives. Luckily, there are many smart people of good will, lots of them Democrats, who want to help get us out of your mess. They're there because we voted for them. You really need to listen to them. Because the country isn't listening to you anymore.
If you must address the nation before Christmas about your latest Iraq strategy, keep in mind that what we want is an exit strategy. It's too late for anything else.
Shelley Lewis is author of Naked Republicans, A Full-frontal Exposure of Right-wing Hypocrisy and Greed.