The Adolescent in Chief

It's been several years since I said that George W. Bush reminded me of my oldest son when he was a teenager. I thought my son was the ultimate adolescent when he was in his early and mid teens but he had nothing on a George W. Bush in his late 50s. Now I don't know if Joan Vennochi ever had a teenage son but in the Boston Globe today she recognizes the adolescent in Bush.

George W. Bush sounds increasingly like your average defiant teenager. The teenager won't clean his room, and the president won't leave Iraq.

The president's latest news conference was another installment of rebel with a cause that a shrinking number of Americans believe in.

''We're not leaving so long as I'm president,'' promised - or threatened - Bush.

As I discussed below Bush has no strategy for Iraq but in addition he has no new rationale.

Bring it on

Bush, the stubborn, won't leave Iraq. And even worse, he won't admit mistakes relative to getting us there in the first place, or military miscues since, when it comes to carrying out the mission, he dooms us to travel the same misguided path as long as he remains in the White House.

What's a nation to do? Ground the commander in chief for the rest of his term and take away his car keys?

Bush - or rather Karl Rove - wants Iraq to be the defining debate in upcoming elections. They are gambling on it. They figure they can pull off the tried-and-true Republican song and dance one more time: They scare the country and marginalize those who challenge war in Iraq as left-wing moonbats who don't understand the true nature of the terrorist threat.

Bring it on, Mr. President.

The presidential rationale for staying in Iraq is the same old, same old. People know it and are weary of it.

Yes a majority now don't see a relation between Iraq and the war on terror and even a greater majority have had enough of Iraq. Nearly 60% of Americans have had enough of Dubya himself. So bring it on Karl - even the Republicans are running.