So, now I understand, George W. Bush tonight in his speech has thrown down a gauntlet and decided to pattern himself on the heroic leadership of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon in Vietnam. He will continue the war despite the polls, the 2006 election results, the loss of crucial Republican supporters in the Senate, the disagreement of Bush's own generals, the weariness of the American public. Indeed, he had a phrase for that -- "stay the course." He will not allow any weak-knee-ed deployment of troops like those fearful Democrats want. Congressional critics such as they are will only allow the extremists to take over with their pusilanimity.
The only real Democrat in the bunch, according to Mr. Bush, is Senator Lieberman -- a figure sadly rejected by his own party for his own lion-hearted neo-conservatism. He suggests that he may even expand the war to Iran and Syria rather than hold any talks with either regime. He will show no quarter in dealing with America's axis of evil. Happily -- by never mentioning the name of the odious organization-- he will also not allow any involvement by the United Nations in settling the problem even if John Bolton is no longer our envoy there to keep the place under control. Nor will he hold any conference of Arab states in the region to work out a solution. That's the deal.
Unilateralism is back in the saddle; neoconservatism is ascendent. With his pipeline to the Lord, Mr. Bush is going to stick to his evangelizing mission and not let himself be undermined by the 70% of the American citizenry who just don't get it.
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