And 2007 is starting with the president and his men pushing for a "surge" (read escalation) in Iraq. He hasn't hit political bottom yet.

It will be interesting and unprecedented to see what political place he gets himself into, especially with Washington consensus decreeing that impeachment is off the table.

I'm feeling optimistic about seeing more congressional gains for the Dems in '08, but it's tempered by the question of how the left blogosphere, online progressive news outlets (like Salon), liberal radio, op-ed writers, TV personalities and others will defend the new Democratic Congress from the full-throttle smear machine of the right.

We're good at calling them on their bullshit, but more acclimated to eating our own than defending our own.

I agree with everything until the last few sentences. Of course the president can ignore the voice of the people. He already has, and has made it clear he either doesn't know that polls show a majority of Americans want troops withdrawn from Iraq, or he knows and is in denial. Or he simply doesn't care. As for deciding what the last two years of his second term will be like, you're assuming too much. He is not given to introspection, has said as much many times, and his family history doesn't chart any course he could take except the one he's on. The last six years will play themselves out in the next two: no change of course, no insight, just full speed ahead. What's past is prologue.

Well, when talking about the failure of Karl Rove’s “Play To The Base” strategy, you’re forgetting another part of that plan; “Scare the hell out of everybody else”. The message of the 2004 election was “The Democrats can not keep you safe from terrorists”. But by 2006, that message no longer held water. It had become obvious that the war was going badly and Katrina had awoken Americans to the fundamental incompetence and lack of accountability of the Bush administration. It’s tough to scare people that Democrats are going to get elected when they’ve lost faith in the ability of Republicans to keep them safe. So, they’re left with the “War on Christmas” crowd and not much anybody else.

All that is missing in this four-part saga is for Bush to start talking to the portraits on the White House walls -- the political version of the Book of Revelation that truly heralds Nixonian end times.

The difference being that Nixon, at least, knew who the portraits were; Bush likely has no idea.

"Big message of 2006: The American people have offered a stinging vote of "no confidence" in his presidency."

Now you're sounding like the right wingers about their landslide endorsement in the 2004 elections. It wasn't a landslide, nor was the latest vote a "stinging" response.

The right-wing is still close to taking over again. Bush and Co. are clinging to their right-wing corporate ways. The right owns much of the judicial system.

There's a long way to go

Whether or not the president talks to paintings is not the point - he has been delusional at least since the day he first thought he was qualified for the presidency. But Nixon knew that Leon Jaworski was coming to get him.

Think of Kenneth Starr, and then try to explain why there is still no special prosecutor investigating the WMD lies, the botched occupation, the no-bid reconstruction spending, Katrina, wiretapping, Abu Ghraib, etc.

If the Dems really had a clue and a plan, and really had the public behind them, they could have had Bush tarred and feathered and run out of town by Thanksgiving.

But I just don't see it happening. There has been neither a turnaround in Iraq policy nor any shakedown in domestic agendas. The military and the GOP are drinking the "surge" Cool-Aid, and I predict the Dems will wuss out when it comes to actually forcing W's hand.

You could have written exactly the same about Harry Truman in 1946-48. History sometimes fools the pundits.

One area that Shapiro doesn't touch on is what will happen to the maintainers of Bush's "bubble". Has the Fitzgerald investigation completely played out? Will characters like Cheney, Rice, Rove, Gates, etc. be able to survive the cannibalistic melee that's sure to intensify as the '08 election cycle gets into full swing?

Surely, "Bush's brain" will advise infusing fresh blood at 1600 Penn. ave. to try to convince those moderate voters that W. is making a real effort to staunch the flow of gallons of innocent blood in Iraq. Start looking for some kind of 'bumper sticker' slogan line to be repeated ad infinitum in an attempt to brainwash the 'great middle' that we're leaving Iraq victorious (i.e. "Peace with honor"). Maybe something like "job finished", "freedom prevails" or even "Mission accomplished - again".

will be crucified, for successfully managing the most voilently religious fundementalist, diverse country, in the Middle East, for embarrassing the decider from God.

Today Gates spoke, the Pentagon reported that attacks against American and Iraqi targets had surged to their highest level recorded so far. The insurgents punctuated their mission by reducing electricity in Baghdad to dangerously low levels. "Now Baghdad is almost isolated," said Karim Wahid, the Iraqi electricity minister. "We almost don't have any power coming from outside."

If we proceed with a surge in American manpower, is it expected that fresh troops must bring their own electricity, to include secure insurgent proof electron beam distribution systems (currently under development for manned mission to the center of the Milky Way...ie Clinton prostate) and somehow match the 200,000 republican guard led military force that Saddam Hussein kept in place to maintain stability of oil, electricity, and other vital community infrastructure.

Mr. Gates added further that Saddam Hussein was probably the most talented national leader in all of the Middle East. America tried for 16 years to cripple his nation and killed over 250,000 women and children, despite this, he kept the infrastructure functioning and gave up all but defensive military forces, keeping his people comfortable, to the best of his ability, in the face of endless American aggression.

Next Sorty: Time Magazine has gotten Jesus, asked forgiveness, and turned the other cheek, on it’s path to denial of Truth, a possibily 21 Century journalistic creed.