A left handed admission of failure by Bush

Finally, much of America is awaking to the knowlege that Iraq was an ill-conceived disaster. In this WaPO article the chickens appear to have come home to roost on their favorite Shrub.

Of all the words that President Bush used at his news conference this week to defend his policies in Iraq, the one that did not pass his lips was "progress."

[...]Bush dropped the unseen-progress argument in favor of the contention that things could be even wors

The shifting rhetoric reflected a broader pessimism that has reached into even some of the most optimistic corners of the administration -- a sense that the Iraq venture has taken a dark turn and will not be resolved anytime soon.

[...]

While still committed to the venture, officials have privately told friends and associates outside government that they have grown discouraged in recent months. Even the death of al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq proved not to be the turning point they expected, they have told associates, and other developments have been relentlessly dispiriting, with fewer signs of hope.

[,,,]

The tone represents a striking change from what critics considered an overly rosy portrayal of Iraq, and the latest stage in a year-long evolution in message.

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