Escalating Folly: Will Congressional Republicans Share Bush's Tin Ear?

by Rep. John Conyers

Facing opposition from the American public, the U.S. Congress and military leaders, the President plans to address the nation tonight desperately seeking to connect with the 26 percent of the American public who can still stomach his unbending desire to plummet our country deeper into war lacking both a strategy and achievable objectives.

To recap, after leading his party to a dramatic defeat in the polls, the President underwent a much-heralded "listening mode" to determine the right course for change in Iraq. To kick things off, he listened to the advice of our military leaders. Remember, the President has always maintained that he would abide by the advice of his commanders on the ground. For this latest initiative, however, the resignation of a number of those commanders was necessary in order for Bush to get the right advice.

The President also received plenty of input from Congress. Naturally, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid offered constructive advice on future redeployments, underscoring that Congress would not provide a blank check to the President.

The President also had no shortage of Republicans in Congress voicing their opposition.Leading Republican pundits also offered their critique of the escalation policy.

And through this chorus of criticism, the President is poised to tell us tonight that we are all wrong and that he has it figured out.

What has become clear in this latest folly is that the President's hearing is not all that good. He apparently conducted "listening mode" with a tin ear.

So, as the President plans to plow ahead with an untenable, unpopular escalation of the Iraq War, the real attention has to be on Congressional Republicans. Resoundingly cast out of the majority in Congress by the American public, is the Republican Party finally ready to demonstrate free will and reject the President's dismal, Alice in Wonderland Iraq policy?

The President may have given up listening, but the American people haven't. And they are waiting to hear a different tune from Congressional Republicans.