CONDI GOLFS WHILE IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN AND LIEBERMAN BURN

With Afghanistan descending into chaos and with McCain's "surge" strategy crippling U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, Bush's installed Iraqi puppet is floating the idea of the U.S. military establishing a timetable for withdrawal. Is he a liberal Democrat now? Lieberman, hysterical as usual, has been throwing hissy fits and is more and more a caricature Senator Palpatine by the day: "Israel is first in the line of Iranian fire. And it represents an existential threat to Israel. But you know who is next? The Arab countries in the Middle East and they’re worried about the Iranian program and want us to ask strongly to stop it. And we’re next! Because Ahmadinejad in Tehran constantly leads the mobs in shouts of death to America. And they mean it." Didn't Palpatine make the same speech just before ending the Republic?

Today al-Maliki spoke with other Arab leaders about negotiating a short-term agreement with the U.S. to replace the UN mandate which expires December 31. The Iraqi people are impatient with the whole concept of extraterritoriality-- something that has been discredited in international affairs since the Boxer Rebellion-- that the Bush Regime has been demanding.

"The current trend is to reach an agreement on a memorandum of understanding either for the departure of the forces or a memorandum of understanding to put a timetable on their withdrawal," Maliki said, according to a statement released Monday by his office that did not specify how long a period a memorandum would cover. "In all cases, the basis for any agreement will be respect for the full sovereignty of Iraq."

The talks on the security pact have been slowed by worries over Iraq's sovereignty as well as a growing concerns in Iraq about a possible long-term American presence in the war-ravaged country.

A U.S. Embassy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, downplayed Maliki's comments, saying that he was not referring to a fixed timetable, but was speaking more generally to convey opposition to any large and long-term presence of troops or U.S. bases. The Bush administration has long said that a timetable could benefit insurgents or Iraq's neighbors.

Although the 40-50 people killed at the Indian embassy in Kabul was the big violence story today, a bombing in Baqubah killed 9 and injured another dozen, 2 more were killed near Baquhab, and 4 others died in a bombing on the eastern edge of Diyala province. "The deaths add to 16 fatalities that occurred on Sunday when a wave of attacks in Baghdad and areas north of the capital Sunday shattered a relative lull in violence. Fifteen others were injured. Just one day earlier, Maliki had declared that Iraq's government had defeated terrorism."

Thank goodness none of this has prevented the Bush Regime Secretary of State from missing much time out on the links. Even if no one can quite figure out the Bush-McCain strategy on ending the war in Iraq or how to handle Afghanistan or Iran, Condi has been crystal clear on one policy: "I have a policy on mulligans. I try for only one, and after that I count it as a stroke. One per 18. Well, except for the first hole, when we have a 'hit until you're happy' rule." Bush, you will recall, has declared that his sacrifice will be to swear off golf... until the mission is accomplished.