Change of course

It's not just for Democrats anymore. This struck me as significant as I was reading through the Friday morning news dump.

Few officials in either party are talking about an immediate pullout of U.S. combat troops. But interest appears to be growing in several broad ideas. One would be some kind of effort to divide the country along regional lines. Another, favored by many Democrats, is a gradual withdrawal of troops over a set period of time. A third would be a dramatic scaling-back of U.S. ambitions in Iraq, giving up on democracy and focusing only on stability.

That third is the big one. It makes the most sense but it destroys the myth that we're spreading freedom and democracy. As does the first option. Dividing the country is to admit that our troops died to give an Islamic theocracy control over Iraqi oil.

I almost feel sorry for the warmongers. They're going to have a tough time spinning a new justification for this ill-fated folly, especially since so many of us have been predicting this moment since the day Bush invaded Baghdad.