I’ve posted a lot in the past two days, so if you’re not interested in my off the top of my head political opinions, just drop down a little and maybe something else will interest you.

So, they’re introducing Senate bills about Iraq.  Most are non-binding resolutions.  One plan is to pass a cap on the number of troops in Iraq.  Another plan is an outright rejection of a troop increase, using the word “escalation”.  Repeal or amendment of the prior war resolutions is in the mill. There’s talk of funding cuts and/or other “power of the purse” solutions.  The Republicans even have a resolution backing presidential power to pursue the war.

From the White House point of view, it’s hard to understand, it seems.

This White House has always been interested in restoring the power of the presidency to some Nixonian Pre-Watergate imperial status.  The war on terror, not the war on Iraq, is what gives this president his extraordinary powers, in their view.  You can’t stop him from doing what he wants in Iraq because his powers within the war on terror are so great that Congress is irrelevant compared to the presidency.  It’s the president who holds all the commander in chief and diplomat in chief and law officer in chief powers.  The Constitution,  in their view, puts all the cards in his hand.

You see, presidents have enormous, almost unimaginable power considering the wealth and military strength of the United States.  This is in ordinary times.  We are in the middle of a war on terror and a war on drugs and these wars are overseas and are therefore presidential wars.  This president, as a wartime president, has dictatorial powers to run roughshod over the Bill of Rights and even the ancient Writ of Habeas Corpus.  He doesn’t have to listen to Congress OR ANYONE.  That’s right, not even the people unless they want to try an armed rebellion.

And, look at his alternatives.

Let’s say he gives in to some kind of compromise with the Congress and the supposed will of the American people expressed in the last election.  Then, where will he and his presidency be?

Think he’d have any luck with a domestic agenda what with his 30 percent approval rating and lame duck status?

Jimmy Carter’s “malaise”.  Clinton’s “I’m still relevant.”  Poppy’s last two years after giving in to a tax increase.  Not for this boy.

As things stand now, maybe he will and maybe he won’t end up being adjudged a bungler. There will always be an argument, a “what if?”. If he gives up, he’ll be both a bungler and a quitter.

If he sets his chin and thinks with the same absolutist black and white dry drunk thinking he’s done all along, ignoring polls entirely and Congress mostly, he can hold onto enormous and unimaginable power (and hope the economy stays good enough to keep people from going to the barricades with pitchforks and torches, a decent bet).

If he does anything else, fahgettaboutit.

Only a forced castration will change George W. Bush’s Iraq policy, in my opinion.