Ah, the "Iraq Study Group" or as it's also known, "Those Who Seek A Way Out of Folly" and "Drifting Sideways? Give Em Merlot"

James Baker III, William Perry, Rudolph Giuliani, Sandra Day O'Connor, Vernon Jordan are all charged with figuring out how to maintain a US presence ("stay the course") and begin the withdraw ("cut and run"). Yes, according to a New York Times report today, it seems clear that a planned extraction of the US from Iraq is being developed by Baker and friends. This as last week the NYT reported that the US military is beginning to develop a counter-insurgency program especially focused on Iraq, and that the Rumsfeld mandate of reducing the size of the military is being reversed to address the reality of a two-front (at least) war. Late, but possibly not too late. Meanwhile, sacntions against new nuclear-player North Korea? Why? Anyone with the "balls" to pressure China to reign in their naughty neighbor? Seems the scorecard on US versus the Axis of Evil is not in our favor. How about talking and an effective use of force? Appears Mr. Baker is going to suggest to the American Colossus that he talk with Iran and Syria. Maybe Mr. John Yoo should take a break from his abstract, theoretical world of ever-increasing executive power and see what happens when the American Colossus is not as important or as "real" as his advisors. Instead of increasing the range of the executive branch, we should take a "real-world" lesson form the last six years and make sure the other two branches--legislative and judicial--have the nerve and the law to stand-up to an executive branch talking to Yahweh.