Very Lame Ducks?

The debacle over Iraq -- misleading the public, using fear to keep a populace in check, using terror alerts for political purposes when no threat was in sight -- seemed to have no effect. Bush and Blair and other major political figures were returned to office.

But now their power seems to be crumbling before our eyes. Right after Blair's party was reelected (in a historic third term that was also at historically low levels), many were calling for his head. Step down, they said. Blair caved in to reality, but managed to convince everyone he should stay on till the UK voted on the EU constitution in mid 2006. Now that the referendum is dead, his own party members are braying again for Blair to step down. What exactly is he waiting for, they ask? Expect him gone by the end of the year.

As for Bush, his every major initiative -- dismantling Social Security, dumbing down science and research into battling disease, pushing through radical judges who can't gain reasonable support from moderates in both parties, not to mention "stabilizing" Iraq and Afghanistan -- has been an utter disaster. Now he's holding press conferences insisting that he is NOT a lame duck, as sure a sign of lame-duckiness as there is.

So are Bush and Blair ones for the history books or do they still have some fight left in 'em?