America wants change, but Bush doesn't understand that word or what that means.
Nearly two out of three Americans (65 percent) concur with the Iraq Study Group that the U.S. should threaten to reduce economic and military aid to the Baghdad government unless it meets benchmarks for security and development. Fifty-seven percent believe Washington should reach out to its adversaries Iran and Syria in an effort to stabilize Iraq. And 61 percent believe Washington should launch a new and sustained effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Remember when some thought that his stubbornness and fear of change was somehow leadership? Now he just looks pig headed and afraid.
That's bad news for President George W. Bush since it's unclear whether the new consensus has been adopted by the White House. Though the president called the Baker-Hamilton report "constructive," in a press conference on Thursday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Bush's closest ally, the president signaled resistance to at least two of the key proposals: drawing down U.S. combat troops in Iraq by early 2008, and talking to Iran and Syria. "One way to assure failure is just to quit, is not to adjust and say it's just not worth it," said Bush, adding, "I believe we'll prevail."
