NANCY'S BACK-- READY TO RUMBLE?

Speaker Pelosi led a congressional delegation over to Iraq and Afghanistan to do a little fact finding now that the escalation issue is starting to boil over back in DC. She said that the trip left them "more convinced than ever that there was no military solution" to Bush's Iraq war. Although Speaker Pelosi took along mostly very military-oriented Democrats like Ike Skelton and Jack Murtha, there was one Republican who came too, Ohio's David Hobson. Hobson who can only be described as a right-wing rubber stamp Republican, has a frighteningly reactionary voting record on war and peace issues and a perfect zero when it comes to Iraq, having never once deviated from a single Bush Regime diktat.

'Til now. Although he didn't say anything about ditching Bush's far right party, Congressman Hobson did say today that it was "imperative" that the U.S. mission shift from combat operations to training Iraqi troops, and that a regional diplomatic effort be launched. "Frankly, the United States has done its part. It's time for other countries to step up and do their part." Blunt, Boehner and Howdy Doody will probably say Pelosi fed him some acid.

This morning Speaker Pelosi told NPR's Morning Edition that "What is happening in Iraq is chaos. We don't have many good options. Everyone that we spoke to said that this escalation that the president is engaged in was the one last chance. Many did not believe it would be successful." Maliki?

I've been saying that pretty soon the only person advocating war and escalation will be Lieberman. Bob Novak is reporting today that even Bush-- or at least those around him-- is starting to realize the gig is up. "Although President George W. Bush officially is opposed to setting any time table for getting out of Iraq, senior administration officials and Republican leaders in Congress privately say there cannot be U.S. boots on the ground or blood being spilled in Iraq when 2008 begins if Republicans are to have a chance in next year's elections. That effectively sets a December 2007 deadline for getting out." Are people's attention spans that short?