mavericks on iraq

What is it with self-proclaimed mavericks and the inclination to send more troops into Iraq. John "Maverick President Wanna-Be" McCain has been going on and on about putting more troops there, even as the generals quietly disagree and Colin Powell points out that there's not much to be gained absent a clear, achievable mission. Not to mention the fact that there aren't enough troops to "surge" with.

And now Joe "I'm an Independent but Screw with Me and I'll Go GOP" Lieberman is also pressing for it, and also saying he buys de facto President Bush's absurd line that this is all part of some larger war on terrorism.

If it weren't for the fact that Lieberman's vote could sway control of the Senate back to the Republicans, I bet Harry Reid and a lot of other Democrats would love to kick Lieberman out. But for now, they have to grin and bear it.

And speaking of mavericks, General David Petraeus gets to take over in Iraq now. He asked a fine, fine question back in 2003 as the US-led invasion began: "Tell me how this ends."

Good luck to Petraeus, who has a good reputation but is perhaps not a typical Army officer. But it's hard to be confident that he can turn things around, especially as long as HIS boss (Dick Cheney, I mean George Bush) is unwilling to admit to the realities in Iraq and change tactics or strategy to fit. Saying "we are committed to victory" isn't a strategy. It's a slogan. And it's wishful thinking.