Big picture Sunday. Bush pushed his allies in Congress out on a limb on Iraq. Today's New York Times reports that Bush is cutting off that limb. The sources of the leak are anonymous, but members of the Administration have decided that the situation in Iraq is so dire that the downside risk to Republican incumbents and candidates in Nov. 7's elections is outweighed by the long term risks to the Republican Party (and maybe the country and the world if the leakers are being truly patriotic and not just Rovian). If the Democrats make such gains on Nov. 7 such that no amount of spinning can minimize them (and if the leakers are Rovian they may not want to spin it otherwise), I really hope the Democrats seize the initiative and push hard to end the war. Of course, I think the Democrats should be doing this now, but if it takes a political impetus, so be it.
