From yesterday’s USAToday

Most say no to Iraq buildup

WASHINGTON — President Bush will outline his "new way forward" in Iraq on Wednesday to a nation that overwhelmingly opposes sending more U.S. troops and is increasingly skeptical that the war can be won.

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday shows a daunting sales job ahead for the White House, which is considering a plan to deploy up to 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq.

Those surveyed oppose the idea of increased troop levels by 61%-36%. Approval of the job Bush is doing in Iraq has sunk to 26%, a record low.

Let’s see: we’ve had “Operation Together Forward” “Operation Together Forward II” and now “Operation New Way Forward.” This escalation is not really intended for more than lending the appearance of doing something. No matter what Mr Bu$h and his Likudnik handlers declaim, this is busywork, to give the appearance that they’re doing something. Like all Bu$hCo initiatives, its form is more vital than its substance. The purpose is to buy time.

White House spokesman Tony Snow parried with reporters Monday over congressional and public opposition to the idea of sending more troops.

"I think the public opinion and public support is a very important part of this, and it is not static," he said. "You know, this is going to be fairly complex, and it's going to take people a little bit of time to think through, and we will spend a lot of time talking about it because it's important to do so."

There is a tremendous amount of arrogance and contempt in that quote. Mr Snow is accustomed to Fox News viewers, who are impaired in the logic and creative thought departments. There is some anecdotal evidence that people have already thought this thing through.

As totalitarian as the Bu$h maladministration is, I’m surprised they haven’t emulated the Great Helmsman and called this escalation the “Great Leap Forward.”