KR: President Bush may have to lower his goals in Iraq

[grytpype]

The fallout from the Dem victory continues, as Bush appears to be ready to embrace the Baker Commission as his only way out of the Iraq debacle.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/news/nation/15963383.htm?source=rss&channel=krwashington_nation

President Bush may have to lower his goals in Iraq

By Warren P. Strobel and Drew Brown
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - "Stay the course" has run its course.

With the firing of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in the wake of a resounding Democratic electoral victory, President Bush opened the way Wednesday to a new approach to concluding the Iraq war - probably on terms different than he'd once hoped.

Attention is expected to pivot quickly to the work of a bipartisan panel led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and retired congressman Lee Hamilton that is reviewing U.S. options in Iraq.

Bush mentioned the Baker-Hamilton commission four times during his press conference Wednesday and said that he'll meet with its members early next week. And while Rumsfeld was the main architect of the administration's Iraq policy, Robert Gates, Bush's nominee to replace him, has been a member of the commission, formally known as the Iraq Study Group.

What Baker's commission will recommend isn't known, but three experts advising the panel say support is coalescing around a plan that would involve a new - and final - push to stabilize Iraq by curbing sectarian violence and insurgent attacks and strengthening the weak central government.

...

Whatever happens, Iraq is certain to shadow Bush for his last two years in office - and beyond.

"We did this to ourselves," said retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq from, February 2004 to February 2005. "We might as well call it `Bushistan.'"

[Kikosexy2]

1. How much ...

lower can they go???...Iraq is a lost cause...bring the troops home and call it an end to evil imperialism...

[FightingIrish]

2. Wouldn't it be great if Baker - Hamilton recommends

regime change here.

[laconicsax]

3. I thought he already accomplished his goals

Invade Iraq: done
Stage Photo-op: done

Am I missing something here? I didn't think he had any goals beyond that.

[ShockediSay]

4. Hanging in for "victory" in Iraq is one of those loosey goosey sound bites

that could be filled in w/ anything short of a complete collapse and takeover by Iran

[54anickel]

5. Big money "imperialists" are stepping in, the Neocons will be sent

to their rooms with no supper. We'll still get control of the oil fields and the ME, but we'll do it the old fashioned way with black ops and spooks. The ruling elite have spoken. Dubya has undone decades of work, I can't understand why they let it go on as long as it did. Watch the rhetoric of "war of agression" drop right off of the radar.