THE FANATICS WIN

Senator John Warner recently suggested a small withdrawal of troops from Iraq -- then announced his retirement.

Senator Chuck Hagel declared his opposition to the Iraq War sometime back, hung tough for a while, and now is reportedly about to announce his retirement. (He's also not planning to run for president.)

All the smart people thought that by now Republicans would be desperate to break with Bush and sign on to a Democratic proposal for bringing the war to an end -- but Republican orthodoxy is holding firm, and it's Democrats who are desperate to compromise with Republicans. The pending departure of two dissidents makes the GOP an even more fanatical party. It's a bit like watching a beseiged radical movement become oppressive and vicious as it's squeezed. The problem is, this radical movement still runs our country.