Republican Watch

Apparently there's a story out about how some House Republicans confronted Bush on the war, vowing that support for him can't last much longer.

Yeah right.

I say put up or shut up.

Anyway, this also caught my eye:

During the meeting, one of the lawmakers asked Bush to stop the Iraqi parliament from going on vacation while "our sons and daughters spill their blood," reports the Post. The prospect of the parliament taking a two-month vacation has riled lawmakers in Washington. But, as the LAT reports inside, even when the parliament is in session (meeting three days a week) it frequently has trouble getting started because of such things as electricity shortages and roadblocks that prevent lawmakers from getting there. Although no final decision has been made on the vacation, some Iraqi politicians aren't too happy the United States is trying to dictate their schedules. And even if it's decided that lawmakers shouldn't take a vacation, there's no guarantee they'll listen.

The Iraqi parliament usually can't get a quorum even when they're "in session". This certainly isn't a new story.

Isn't it kind of telling when the U.S.,with billions in aid and with well over 250,000 total troops (enlisted/contract) stationed inside Iraq can't even get the parliament to agree to stay in session through the summer? And you know that even if they agree to stay in session, there will be huge resentments at the U.S. intervention in the entire affair. It's just another rather minor example of how the U.S. is now radioactive in the area and an impediment to real progress.

But. Never underestimate Bush's inability to learn that hitting his head against a wall is damaging.