I once found inspiration
in the paper every morning,
but the happy days departed
when Bush went delusional.
Anger at a bumbler fizzles,
satire falls on its face, when
one realizes the leader thinks
he’s right, and still in charge.
There’ll be a paucity of politry
‘til presidential primaries
rev up and resupply the world
with healthy pompousness.

Democrats concerned with being blamed
for losing Iraq, should state the obvious ―
we’ve already lost. Everyone admits
we’re not winning. Bush can also claim
we’re not losing only because it’s over.
Iraq is in chaos; civil war’s underway;
neighboring countries are staking claims.
Our troops maintain pockets of peace
like boats maintain dents in the water.
The consequences of leaving will [...]

They say if all sides dislike a compromise
it has to be good, so the president’s plan
must be great. Many on every side hate it ―
Iraqis, the military, congress, the public.
Bush says we need to follow his plan
because losing is not an option. He’s right ―
it’s reality. And getting out of the way
of a civil war [...]

Maliki holds the keys to success, but
Bush has benchmarks without dates.
The Democrats should fill those gaps
in the supplementary appropriation bill.
They should agree to support the plan
until the Iraqi prime minister misses
one deadline ― then all bets are off.

Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is preventing
resolution of the violence in Iraq.
If Bush wants support for his new plan
he needs to make it contingent
on the prime minister acting first.
When additional Iraqi troops get
to Baghdad, and start fighting, we’ll
add an equal number. When a law
passes allocating oil revenues fairly
we’ll add economic support, etc.
If the president trades benchmarks
for [...]

A purge and a surge? No,
a shuffle and a dribble
to delay evacuation until
a new president takes over.
Call it the Bush legacy.

Bush is shuffling his lineup like a manager
in last place at the end of August.
Maybe he’s trying to find people willing
to implement his new plan for Iraq, but
more likely, he’s muddling the witness lists
for upcoming congressional investigations.