Hah! Not likely. GWB was just trying to control the conversation by making Webb make nice with him. Too bad for Bush that Webb saw right through that game, and refused to play along. Good for him!!!

Usually Bush tries to use nicknames to control the conversation or relationship... he probably just hadn't come up with one yet for Webb. And-- if GWB's WH tries to get back at Webb for that interaction, I predict they will only make themselves look even worse.

Naturally, we wouldn't want a whole senate filled with men like Webb who won't just play along to get along, because then nothing would ever get accomplished, but the chamber will probably benefit from having one or two breathing some fresh air into the place.

...and it seemed really appropriate here:

A woman, in a hot air balloon, realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude, and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me. Can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago. But, I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his portable GPS, and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 11 degrees, 14.97 minutes North latitude, and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes West longitude.

She rolled her eyes, and said, "You must be a Democrat."

"I am," replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct. But, I have no idea what to do with your information. And, I am still lost. Frankly, you have not been much help to me."

The man smiled, and responded, "You must be a Republican."

"I am!" replied the balloonist. "How did you know?"

"Well...," said the man, "You do not know where you are, or where you are going. You have risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep. And, now you expect me to solve your problem. You are in exactly the same position you were in before we met. But somehow, now it's all my fault.

[Found at Dick Polman's blog in the comment thread: http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21684499&postID=116463146092293570

As a matter of fact, I had intended to look that up, and then forgot about it. Since posting that excerpt, I've been following a different brouhaha about the web, and just returned to see your comment. Thanks again!

...before I got to the end.

Here I thought you were going to comment on the fact that the menu is not very friendly to those who might prefer to keep Kosher for Hanukkah.

...until the past week or so of bad news for the Bush administration, and his insistence on continuing to stay the course, even before the "official" release of the Baker/Hamilton report.

However, I really don't think that Democrats are going to immediately start impeachment proceedings. Investigations, yes, which could lead to impeachment if the findings are overwhelming...

Republicans, though, have a whole lot more to lose by allowing Bush to continue on his course. All of the talk of which Republican presidential candidate is in the lead becomes moot. 2008 now looms as a year when Republicans will lose the presidency and even more house and senate seats, unless they can rein Bush in. And even if they do, they may still lose. It's definitely easier to see a tipping point in retrospect, but something tells me that the Republican party has already seen theirs slip by.

And all they had to do was hold him accountable a little earlier on... both on Iraq and on his domestic agenda. Now, it will be too little, too late.

Perhaps the Republicans who are now complaining (not all of them, I know) about their new working hours will now reconsider what they have been expecting of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families who are left behind, and the impact that such long separations have on those families that they have expected to bear the burden of an ill-advised war.

Perhaps these same Republicans will consider the impact on a family of a parent returning in a casket, or so grievously wounded, whether physically or mentally, that their lives will never be the same.

Perhaps they will also now consider the burdens on regular, everyday Americans who must often work not just a (barely) five-day week, but often six or more days, and often more than one job. Some parents, in fact, have little time to spend with each other, or with their children, in their efforts to make ends meet.

Perhaps they will finally consider the reality-based impact-- new leisure! --of the democratic process when those who have been elected to govern (i.e. serve) are summarily dismissed because they have neglected-- and even disdained! --the wishes of the very voters who elected them.

Perhaps they will realize that if they had merely held GWB in check-- even a little bit! --they might not be facing this power shift.

Hopefully, I'm wrong, because it is heartbreaking to see and read about of all of the unnecessary loss of life, both American and Iraqi, but given the history, behavior, etc., that we've all seen over the past six years (and even before)... it is not likely.

However, he can be brought around, eventually, if the Republicans (not the Democrats) have the stomach to consider impeachment proceedings.

Isn't that what it took for Reality finally to take hold with Nixon?

It may seem impossible at the moment, but looking ahead to 2008 and their inevitable electoral losses... what other real choice do the Republicans have, if there is to be any change of policy? If they want to minimize the damage already wreaked upon their party? And if Bush won't change...