[mburbank]

There is so much about tomorrow nights speech I don't get.

I don't mean I disagree, I do, but I don't get it, either.

The first thing I don't get, is that absolutely everybody now knows everything that's going to be in the speech. It's all been 'leaked' to the press drip by drip until it's a total non event. Why even ask for network time? This is supposed to be the big moment where W shows the doubting public that he is indeed engaged in Iraq, he knows it's not working, but he has a 'New Way Forward'. Why all the delay and leaks, why all the time leaving the media nothing to cover but who thinks the ideas the President has yet to reveal but everybody knows are stupid?

Secondly, what purpose did the Iraq report serve? It's ironic that the only thing he took from it was the Phrase "A New Way Forward", since it isn't the way they suggested. He should call it "Another New Way Forward."

Why were Baker and O'connor willing to participate? Did they have some belief that W. would take up their face saving program, or do they just feel guilty that they are arguably the two people most responsible after katherine Harris for W being President at all?