Without the excuse of Iranian provocations in Iraq, it's much more difficult for the Bush Administration to make a case for what is essentially an unprovoked attack on yet another nation. Even if Congress has made it easier for them legally to do this the case still has to be made for public opinion, which Dems are failing to lead on as well. The neocons want their "creative chaos" which will either lead to democratization in the Middle East if it works or at least produce military setbacks to the enemies of Israel if it doesn't.

An attack on Iran also would have other attractions for Bush in terms of the Iraq Debacle, his legacy, and the fortunes of Republicans in 2008:

"Blaming Iran serves a purpose of partially, or even mostly, from the perspective of hard-liners in Washington, making the situation look better."

The media may be wising up a bit though:

"There is a rush to judgment [against Iran today], and this should be questioned, given the past and the outright dissembling that occurred [in 1988] when it was convenient to accuse the Iranians because the American ally Iraq was doing something totally embarrassing to the Reagan administration," says Joost Hiltermann, author of the recently published "A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq, and the Gassing of Halabja."

"These people have learned the lesson that this kind of lying works and will do it again," says Mr. Hiltermann, the Istanbul-based Middle East director for the International Crisis Group.

The charge against Iran took root so effectively in the media - this newspaper also published notable, unattributed examples of "good intelligence" that cited Iran's role - that until recently, references to the "Iraqi" gassing of Halabja yielded letters of complaint from readers, pointing out the Iranian role, and offering US government documents as proof.

The Halabja case suggests "an exceptional attempt at naked deception," says Hiltermann in his study, noting that 18 tons of Iraqi secret police and intelligence documents seized in northern Iraq in 1991 make frequent reference to Iraqi use of chemical weapons, but none about any chemical use by Iran.

That's exactly the opposite of logical reasoning. He has essentially stuck his fingers in his ears and started yelling, "Lalala, I can't hear you!"

I absolutely agree that we need to ramp up pressure and build momentum and commitments now.

If anyone needs any proof of that let them examine the 2006 Election and Congressional approval ratings now.

"There is serious talk of a military commission (majlis `askari) to take over the government. The parties would be banned from holding positions, and all the ministers would be technocrats, so to speak. . . [The writer indicates that attempts have been made to recruit cabinet members from the ranks of expatriate technocrats.]

The six-member board or commission would be composed on non-political former military personnel who are presently not part of the government OR the military establishment, such as it is in Iraq at the moment. It is said that the Americans are supporting this behind the scenes.

The plan includes a two-year period during which political parties would not be permitted to be part of the government, but instead would prepare and strengthen the parties for an election which would not have lists, but real people running for real seats. The two year period would be designed to take control of security and restore infrastructure.

. . .[I]t is another [desperate plan], but one which many many Iraqis will support, since they are sick of their country being pulled apart by the "imports" - Maliki, Allawi, Jaafari et al. The military group is composed of internals, people who have the goal of securing the country even at the risk of no democracy, so they say. "

Juan Cole

Seriously, the Dems think they were elected for all those nifty social programs, but they were elected to stop the war. By not doing so, or even standing up much, they will be seen as gutless frauds by Independent and swing voters. There is Enormous disappointment regarding their inaction on the war. I've been a Democrat all my life and I'm plumb sick of the quaking bunnies we have in Congress. So don't expect a Dem victory if they keep being Deadocratic rabbits.

Heck, the Dems even voted more money for Iraq, and they'll probably vote more for Iran when Bush invades that nation under some created pretext.