When, on Friday, April 27th, 2007, Bush said, “and if the Congress wants to test my will as to whether or not I’ll accept the timetable for withdrawal, I won’t accept one.” ... His words rung like those of a dictator.

Sadly, Bush is not an actor, the words are not part of a play, and unlike The Taming of the Shrew, Iraq is not about the taming of wills: Bush’s or the Congress’. 

Sadly, Iraq is about Bush dishonesty vs. the honesty of a trusting people.  It is about Bush lying vs. truth telling. It is about openness and Sunshine vs. Cover-ups.  It is about invading and occupying those other nations vs. respect for those other nations. 

Iraq, like the rest of Bush’s power grab, is just another link in the chain of Bush’s repressive state. 

On Friday, April 27th when Bush uttered words asserting that he will not give Congress a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, he might have, just as well, said to congress, “you all might as well go home now. I have no further use for anyone of you.” I can easily extrapolate that unstated intent from his words. Bush wants to have his cake and eat it too, as the saying goes. I can, further extrapolate that intent from his actions.  Combined, his words and his actions could be equated to a full declaration by Bush of his Dictatorial State. Even when in the next breath, and probably not wanting to be perceived as one “going over the top”, he said, “I hope we don’t come to [a showdown.] I believe we can find a way forward.” 

...Sure! Bush can find a way forward just as long as it is his way forward, don't you know?  I can hear it all in the vinegar of his voice. I can hear it in his refusal to acknowledge that up to the time of his power grab, the United States has been a democracy of checks and balances where the Legislative Branch of government heretofore known as the Congress has had the power to legislate what goes, or what doesn't go in our country...

I can hear Bush's fear of coming close to the realization that, at this point, his back is not covered by the rubber stamp republicans of the 109th Congress. I can hear Bush's fear that if the Democrats of the 110th Congress do the right thing, if they stand up to Bush and tell him, "there is nothing else to negotiate here, Señor Forajido," Bush will crumble.  His self image as a tough castigator, bully-in-chief, supreme forajido in a land of plenty will shatter along with his psyche. 

Bush is fighting that war within as hard as he is fighting the insurgents out in Iraq, those people who want to pry Bush's hands off of Iraqi soil and oil, as much as he is fighting those of us who want to pry Bush's hands off of our Constitutional Democracy. Echoing in some fashion Pelosi’s words of April 18th, 2007, “... we must work together[,]” Bush said, "...I believe we [Bush and Congress] can work a way forward.

Of course, Nancy Pelosi is in for a rude awakening if she thinks Bush is willing to work towards finding a mutually satisfying solution to the pull out of Iraq or to allowing Congress to have any kind of a voice which is not his own ... Sure! Bush can find a way forward ... just as long as it is his way forward, don’t you know?  I can hear it all in the vinegar of his voice and I can see it in his half tilted head on his extended neck.

Sadly Iraq is also about the carnage brought on by the Bush invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation vs. having the wisdom to stop that carnage without more carnage, through getting ourselves out of a place where we were never invited into, never welcomed into, never greeted as a liberating force, and never once a place which dreamed of having its own democratic form of government until Bush, his army, and his greed for oil went in with the sorry excuse of, “wake up and smell the roses people...we bring you gifts of democracy and more.”

Iraq is about congress having enough spine and courage to say NO to Bush.

Iraq’s funding bill now—and should have been from day one-- is about saying NO to Bush’s crimes. Iraq’s funding bill now is about saying NO to Bush’s tantrums. Iraq is about saying NO to Bush’s dictatorship. Iraq is about our congress being courageous enough to tell Bush, “Again, Señor Forajido, It is time to end this occupation--what part of NO, do you not understand?” The Iraq funding bill now is about our congress having the ability to function in a democratic way.

Iraq is not our joy toy.  Its oil does not belong to us.  It is time for our courageous congress people to realize that Bush is no Petruchio and Congress is no Kate.  Even if Bush thinks that he is Petruchio and Congress is his Kate... whom he could send to the back room without supper, or voice, or vote, until they do what he wants them to do; until they come out of the backroom with a letter (bill) of approval and compliance to his will, in which case, congress ought to just stop the charade, fold its tent, go home and let Bush run the country like the dictator that he is; the dictator that he encapsulated in the words, “if congress wants to test my will ... as to whether I’ll accept a timetable ... I won’t accept one.”

It is time for congress to have its say.  It is high time for congress to send Bush to the backroom without supper, and it is time to deflate Bush’s overgrown, oversized ego which is threatening to swallow up not just the whole of Iraq but America as well and God only knows what other points beyond the pond.

It is time to let Bush crumble a little... or a lot if he needs to.

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