LAT pushes talking

In an editorial today, the LAT says it can't imagine any material improvement in conditions in Iraq within the next two months. Therefore, it suggests that the Bush administration begin talking -- about an end to the surge and a start to shift U.S. troops into a support role.

The LAT doesn't say why it's forecasting failure. It only predicts that Bush will find it harder to deal with Congress in September than in July, especially if more Republicans abandon Bush as some have done already.

But dealing with Congressional Democrats isn't possible in either July or September. Democrats are beholden to the anti-war left, which wants out of Iraq now, unconditionally. Democrats can't cut a deal that goes against what the anti-war left wants.

Congressional Democrats will try again and again to pull the funding for the war without really doing that. At some point they may succeed. Then the surrender and its consequences will be their responsibility.