"A psychic calm"

From his proposed budget, with nary a nod to the reality that Democrats are now the majority, to his continued control of Republican actions in the Senate, it's clear that Bush still has no interest in what he calls "polls," but what normal observers call the will of the majority of citizens. So, when I read this, I believe it.

"There have been clear indications of late that the White House plans to bring the issue to a head in the next year or so. The deployment of heavy military hardware to the Gulf, suitable for launching stand-off air strikes, the appointment of an admiral to take over the usually land-based Central Command and the increasingly minatory language the Bush Administration has been using about Tehran's activity in Iraq all clearly suggest something is up."

Baker lists five reasons why some sort of action is more likely than it was a year ago, including this one: "Mr Bush has reached a sort of psychic calm now. He knows he is leaving office a controversial president and he is now almost entirely focused on his legacy, rather than his immediate political prospects. No amount of pleading from Republican pollsters telling him a botched attack on Iran would doom the party for decades is going to shift him if he thinks that the gauntlet has to be laid down."

And while I agree with James Fallows' assessment in principal, that Congress should focus on legislation that will make clear that military actions in Iran will not be sanctioned nor paid for by Congress, I'm not sure that will matter. Bush and Cheney will move with or without Congressional approval. And once action has been taken, any move by Congress to cut off funding will be portrayed by these blood thirsty tyrants as "not supporting the troops."

Let's face it, this horror show is going to continue for two more years unless Bush and Cheney are impeached.