Bush is pushing his escalation. The American people and Congress are pushing back.

Bush's approval rating on Iraq is 26% in the latest USA Today poll. With that in mind, Bush will address the nation tomorrow night to tell us not that he's figured out how to get us out of his war. Instead, he's making it worse.

Yesterday, Bush started his lobbying effort with Republican Senators. Only Republican Senators according to the Washington Post:

Only Republican senators came to the White House yesterday, a sign perhaps of the president's desire to rebuild his base on the eve of a critical speech. Several seemed mixed in their comments about the president's course.

"He seemed very confident," said Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, who was in one group. "I'm convinced he's come up with a proposal that he thinks will work."

But he said he was struck by the degree of discord at his meeting. "I think I was the only senator who acted like he would be supportive," Cochran said. "I was surprised that no one said it but me."

Bush is more concerned with the politics than the policy. Always has been.

While Bush is having meeting with just Republicans, the party in power on the Hill is starting hearings today on Iraq. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee isn't comprised of shrinking violets -- and the potential witnesses should make things interesting according to Bob Geiger:

The Foreign Relations Committee has already begun assembling quite a roster of witnesses to join Rice, including former national security advisers and secretaries of state, Brent Scowcroft, Sandy Berger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and George Shultz.

And, as if these hearings don’t already provide enough basis for drama, two other factors may make them even more compelling.

The first is the fact that the Foreign Relations Committee just happens to be stacked with people who may also be seeking the presidency in 2008. Also involved in these hearings with Biden will be John Kerry (D-MA), Barack Obama (D-IL), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE). All of them -- in addition to Biden -- are against any escalation of U.S. involvement in Iraq and may also use the hearings as a high-profile springboard to their own presidential campaigns. Throw in freshman Senator (and highly-decorated Veteran) Jim Webb (D-VA) who has also been assigned to the committee, Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and there may be even more potential for some fiery rhetoric.

We need some fiery rhetoric -- and some fierce opposition to the escalation.