Step 1: Admit there is a problem

President Bush talked about the report in an interview published Saturday by The Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire.

"The Iraqis are defying the dire predictions of a lot of people by moving toward democracy," Bush told the paper. "It's hard to get to democracy from tyranny. It's hard work. And yet, it's necessary work. But it's necessary work because a democratic Iraq will make the world a freer place and a more peaceful place.

"I'm pleased with the progress," Bush said. "It's hard. Don't get me wrong. It's hard because there are some in Iraq who want to disrupt the election and disrupt the march to democracy, which should speak to their fear of freedom."

OK, so, this comment might make sense in a context where the Iraqis had risen up and overthrown Saddam in a popular revolution, and were struggling against the remnants of the old regime. And it might make sense in a context where it didn't seem that quite a few Iraqis feel that their ideal form of government looks quite a bit different than the one George Bush has in mind. And it might make sense in a context where the training and equipping of an indigenous Iraqi police and security force had progressed to the point that it could ensure the possibility of an election in January, or even the ability of an elected government to rule the country. And these comments might make sense in a context where the US administration hadn't just gone back to Congress for the authority to now use millions of dollars it hadn't been able to spend on reconstruction on security instead, because lack of security is the reason they couldn't use the money on reconstruction. But in the reality that WE live in, these comments just seem bizarre.

Chuck Hegel, the Republican Senator from Nebraska, said ``The fact is, we're in deep trouble in Iraq ... and I think we're going to have to look at some recalibration of policy,'' on Sunday.

``We made serious mistakes,'' said Sen. John McCain.

``This is the incompetence in the administration,'' said Senator Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The media seem to be asking every Kerry supporter about what Kerry's specific plan for fixing Iraq is. He's already done the first step: admitting that there's a problem! "I'm pleased with the progress"?! Incredible.