Well sure, Bush will listen to reason. When Pigs Fly, he will...

Hey, you can't fix "stupid"...

I'm afraid that "listening to reason" is not within the purview of George W. Bush. He has been struck down by a Perfect Storm which includes 1. Neoconservativism. 2. Christian fundamentalism. 3. Alcoholism.

President Bush adopts the world view of the neoconservatives. He believes that because the US is the world's only superpower that it can act without restraint. If it's considered to be "the national interest" even preemptive war is justified. The United States now has lone responsibility to make the world safer, free of autocratic governments and more prosperous through global trade. Since our experience tells us that "democracy" has allowed our country to flourish, it is our God given duty to seed the world with democratic governments even if it has to be done at the point of a gun. Finally, because we have been so blessed to find ourselves on top of the world, we must do everything possible to guard our position and not let anyone ever challenged us. That means having command and control of the world's most strategic area, the oil-rich Middle East.

Faith can bring great comfort. But when "faith" becomes absolute certainty, especially in a man who has to deal with the most complex issues, it can bring disaster. To see America as chosen by God to fulfill His "plan" to convert every country to democracy comes naturally to a man who is "born again" into an extremely literal and authoritarian form of religion. God cannot be wrong. George Bush follows God's plan. Therefore, George Bush cannot be wrong. If given the choice, who is he going to believe God or the Iraq Study Group? Furthermore, spreading democracy fits perfectly with the evangelical mindset.

Finally, George W. Bush is an alcoholic. True, he no longer drinks but that only makes him a "dry drunk." He stopped drinking, he got religion but he never got treatment by going to Alcoholics Anonymous and completing the 12- Steps or by entering into psychotherapy. The behavior of drinking has ceased but he still holds the same thinking patterns as an alcoholic including denial, projecting blame on others, black-and-white thinking and hyper-religiosity. This aspect of the president's personality is critical but seldom considered in the way that a family might never acknowledge that one of its members has the life-threatening disease of alcoholism.

To be free of any one of those positions might allow George W. Bush to look beyond the other two and to listen to reason. But when those three forces come together, as in nature, there can be much destruction and sorrow.

I do not understand the fascination with Iran. The Baker Commission is handing Iran a diplomatic coup and a perception of influence over Iraq that extends way beyond their ability to deliver on any material aspect of a final settlement. By comparison, Baker says that "we talked to the Soviet Union for 50 years" and that saved the planet so why can't we have substantive dialogue with Iraq? We also had diplomatic relations with the USSR since 1933, both countries fought against Nazi Germany and agreed or disagreed on how to divide up Europe following the war. Also, having a Russian embassy in town probably saved the planet during the height of the Cuban missle crisis. We recently convinced China to put pressure on North Korea on their nuke program. Somebody needs to help me understand how Iran is going to influence events in Iraq in a manner analogous to the USSR and China. I don't think it is going to happen and I think the Baker Commission has made a strategic error in elevating Iran to "world power" status in the space of two weeks.

In fact, the US has to be careful not to be seen giving implicit approval to Iran to acquire nuclear weapons as quid pro quo. I don't know if this was raised as a possibility by the Baker Commission Report but it has been raised elsewhere (see Ephron:Newsweek).

He is way too over his head

Realism is the one thing this President has not shown a propensity to embrace. The losers, in my opinion have been not only the Iraqi citizenry whom have had to endure the hardships of life in such a barbaric atmosphere, but also the American people that have been forced to witness such obstinent leadership from Washington. Let's face it, a Secretary of State, who could sway the President to get aboard only after securing a commitment to look forward and not to pass judgment on the past errors of policy is not exactly a resounding vote of confidence.

I am half finished reading the finished product and the very characterization of "...less-bad options..." as phrased by one of the panel members speaks volumes about the abysmal blundering that has been a hallmark of this administrations pre and post-war Iraq war strategy and subsequent policy decision-making efforts. I take strong exception to President Bush's assertion that "Iraqis are plenty capable of running their own business." This tells all of us that have been paying attention to the lack of progress politically and diplomatically in not only Iraq but the entire Middle East, that the solution building will begin to occur only when and if there are drastic changes in the dynamics of internal Iraqi politics. Thus far, we have seen a steady stream of acquiescence from al-Maliki when it comes to addressing Moktada al- Sadr and his militia's activities. The one thing that has fallen off the radar from the moment he became part of the political process is the subject of the arrest warrant for al-Sadr. Perhaps it should be re-issued and upgraded to Terminate with Extreme Prejudice status. His presence has certainly seemed to inflame and exacerbate the situation from the time his public personae rose after the mosque bombing this past February. It is largely going to fall to the Iraqis to make strides to reduce the corruption that exists on a rampant level throughout the present government. Sectarian violence and ethnic-cleansing are no more than civil war. Anarchy, also is staring the country down-for without a viable form of competent government there will soon be no constituency remaining to lead.

The options available to the United States and the "coalition forces" such that they are are few and not at all promising. As everyone knew, even before its report was released the Iraqi Study Group offers no panacea; there is not one available. One need merely to look at the history of the people that have inhabited the region for the past one thousand years to reach that inevitable conclusion. It scares the daylights out of any sensible person - and it should.