IT'S THE CENTRAL FRONT IN BUSH'S REAL WAR, AND HE'S WINNING

David Brooks and other tie themselves in knots trying to figure out how President Bush manages to remain so serene in the face of utter failure. But the answer is obvious: When it comes to his #1 priority, Bush doesn't think he's failing -- and, in fact, he isn't.

Bush's #1 priority isn't keeping America safe or bringing the war in Iraq to a successful conclusion. Bush's #1 priority is his war against Democrats, and against anyone else who wants to make him do what he doesn't want to do. And as long as they can't force him out of Iraq, he's winning. He cares more about that than he cares about dead and wounded soldiers or the safety and security of America.

In anticipation of confrontations with the Democrats like the one going on the Senate right now, Bush has been adept at changing war strategy -- increasing his references to Al Qaeda and then going public with a National Intelligence Estimate that links Al Qaeda to Al Qaeda in Iraq in a way his GOP troops can easily exploit. In this way, Bush is a very nimble and capable "war president."

Scott Shane in The New York Times gives Bush the benefit of the doubt on the NIE, then brings on Max Boot to tell us the truth:

...The document's pessimism was striking; it may reflect a determination of the intelligence agencies, accused of skewing some reports to back the president's Iraq invasion plans in 2003, to make clear that their findings have not been tailored to suit the White House this time around.

But Max Boot, a security analyst who has generally supported the president, said the estimate "cuts both ways" politically. Even if some administration policies have been ineffective or have backfired, the estimate also concludes that Al Qaeda will probably try to capitalize on the network built up by its affiliate in Iraq, lending some support to the argument that a rapid exit from Iraq might prove dangerous for American security, said Mr. Boot....

Yeah, I'll say:

GOP establishment rallies around Bush

The Republican establishment is rallying to the defense of President Bush and his controversial war strategy, with some GOP members of Congress cherry-picking intelligence about a resurgent Al Qaeda to buy at least two more months for Bush's Iraq strategy.

Republican leaders on Tuesday pounced on a newly released National Intelligence Estimate to argue that the increasingly powerful and ominous Al Qaeda presence justifies current troop levels in Iraq at least until September....

More:

A handful of Republicans who have distanced themselves from President Bush on the war in Iraq refused Tuesday to back a plan to withdraw American troops from the conflict, leaving Senate Democrats short of the support needed to force a vote on their proposal....

The Democrats are thwarted again. Bush's anti-Democrat propaganda surge is working. Who cares about real bloodshed in the Middle East, or anywhere else? Bush certainly doesn't.