In the sea of new schemes by Democratic leaders to force George W. Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq, the only method that will work is being overlooked (or "off the table").
Nonbinding resolutions, benchmarks, defunding...none of these will have any effect on this president. I'll explain why not on page two.
Premise #1: We Can't Win In Iraq
None but the most blind would argue that victory in Iraq is possible. The American people know it and they told the world in November, 2006. Bush probably knows it but it's an inconvenient truth and he's never been given to acknowledging facts that don't fit with what he wants.
Premise #2: If We Start Withdrawing Troops While Bush Is In Office, He's the "Loser"
Recent history has proven that the principals in this administration are liars (Bush), cheaters (Gonzales), thieves (Cheney) or incompetents (insert any name here). The one thing it has not proven them to be is losers. Yes, I know about that election. If you think Bush believes for one second that he lost the election, you haven't been paying attention. Forget those 3,000+ dead Americans and the hundred times that in Iraqi casualties. Bush is a winner in his own mind because we're still there. If people keep dying it doesn't matter because we still haven't lost.
Premise #3: If You Can Hand It Off, It's Not Your War Any More
There is no better evidence of this than a trailer now running on the Discovery Channel (but not currently available online). It's a promotion for Ted Koppel's upcoming program titled, depressingly, "Our Children's Children's War." Unfortunately, I find no video available online. As part of the promotion there is a five-second film clip of the president smugly stating, "This war may have started on my watch but it will end on yours." There's no clue whose administration "yours" might be, though the title of the program suggests the possibility that it may be one of our grandchildren's. Even more disturbing than the implication that this war somehow started all by itself is the flat statement that it will never end while Bush is president.
This is the bottom line. This is why the president will stop at nothing to ensure that we remain in Iraq until the end of his term. George W. Bush can't stand to lose. Signing statements, vetoes, direct defiance of Congress, fiscal sleight-of-hand...he'll use them all to ensure that the war goes on until January of 2009.
The war is all he is...all he has. It will go on so long as he is in office.