Got Balls?

The L.A. Times reports that the Bush administration plans to hold all major assaults in Iraq until after the election:

"When this election's over, you'll see us move very vigorously," said one senior administration official involved in strategic planning, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Once you're past the election, it changes the political ramifications" of a large-scale offensive, the official said. "We're not on hold right now. We're just not as aggressive."

And this should quell any doubts that the current interim government in Iraq is just a puppet of the Americans:

During a recent trip to Washington, Allawi expressed his interest in reclaiming insurgent-controlled cities in the Sunni Triangle in time for the January election, even in light of the potentially negative political impact in Iraq that a bloody military operation could have. Yet officials say that the man who owes his job to President Bush — and might not have such a warm relationship with a President John F. Kerry — does not want to press his case too hard before the U.S. election."A lot of his political future depends on our election," said the senior administration official.

I honestly can’t decide what shocks me more about this story—the brazenness of the admittance, even if it was by yet another anonymous senior administration official, or the actual decision to delay necessary actions to secure the peace in Iraq because of “political ramifications.”

I acknowledge that Furious George’s supporters would argue that because Bush is the right man for this fight, it’s necessary to ensure he gets reelected by any means necessary. However, if he can’t run the war the way he would normally and still get reelected, then perhaps that’s a sign that the American people, were they not being constantly hoodwinked, don’t agree that he is the right man for this fight, after all.