Well, well, well. Let’s take stock: the Senate put the kibosh on reauthorization of the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act. It was divulged that the Bush administration authorized illegal domestic espionage. Those Iraqi troops that the White House likes to claim are being well trained? Well, they mistakenly released al-Zarqawi after capturing him last year. Bush lost a big fight to keep torturing prisoners. Proof has surfaced showing that Congressional Republicans and White House lied when they claimed that Congress was given the same intelligence information on Iraq as Bush was. The solid Republican majority is falling to bits before his eyes.
So, after a week of pushing the new message, Bush has now scheduled an Oval Office speech for Sunday.
Here’s the audience participation bit: what is your prediction for the big news he’ll announce? Leave your guesses in the comments. There’s no prize, just a smug feeling.
My guess? He’ll announce yet another “victory,” claiming that yesterday’s election in Iraq shows that he is a master of exporting democracy. Thus, given a way to save face, he’ll announce that — wait for it — he’s calling for a draw-down of US troops. He’s only got a short window to make an about-face before the 2006 midterms, where Republicans are already facing the loss of their majority…
