Iraq Predictions

1. With reality setting in and the ISG results pending, I predict Bushco is backed into a corner on Iraq (both politically and strategically) and will have to find a way to change course without looking like it's a course change. Furthermore, it must be spun in a way to look like it's Bush's idea, proactively, rather than as a reaction to reality or the IGS results.

2. I predict we'll hear a lot more about the U.S. standing down as the dysfunctional Iraqi-militia/army stands up, which is to say we'll start seeing the seeds being sown for a dump and run strategy ("dump and run" being preferable to the Democratic position of "cut and run" since "cut and run" implies US failure whereas "dump and run" implies Iraqi failure).

3. I predict that the next talking point to emerge from the Republican water carriers will be that the failure to "win" in Iraq is due to the lack of will among the American people (and I also predict that it will piss me off greatly every time I hear it).

4. I predict that the current defenders of "Stay the Course," those who make up the 40% of the population that still doesn't think Bush and his Iraq folly were a bad idea, are going to be a bit uneasy when they realize that everything they've been led to believe about Iraq, daily, by the spinmeisters, is just not true.