We're not winning?

Gates, to be the replacement for Rumsfeld, admitted during his (already decided) confirmation hearing, that we are not winning in Iraq. Beautiful. Can't you just see Bush standing in the wings, pushing Gates onstage, saying, I can't say that, you go out there and say it. Of course Gates didn't say we were losing (no Bush supporter will ever admit to that). Even so, I believe it does signify the end of the Bush/Cheney charade and the beginning of the attempt to whitewash the dismal failure of the neocon dreams of empire. Bush will never be blamed by his supporters. It will now be the Iraqis failure to take advantage of the marvelous opportunity we gave them to become a democratic nation and inspire all the rest of the Middle East to do likewise. Never mind that we have completely destroyed their country and made it virtually impossible for them to do anything except accede to the presence of our troops probably until doomsday (or until the oil runs out). But repeat the mantra: It was not Bush's fault (truth be known, it was probably Clinton's fault). What a fine bunch of thieving thugs and war criminals.

And now the Republican cry is for bipartisanship! This from the party that wouldn't even allow the Democrats to have a decent room for a meeting? That decided important matters in private with no Democratic input? That held the voting open far beyond the usual time in order to strongarm their members into voting their way? That treated the Democratic minority with utter contempt? Now they are demanding bipartisanship? And Democrats seem to be falling for this utter bullshit? If Democrats go along with this bipartisanship crap and do not hold Bush/Cheney and the neocons responsible for their atrocious war crimes they will be admitting that war crimes of the worst kind are apparently acceptable to citizens of the United States. I'm sorry, but I do not believe this to be acceptable, and it certainly will not be regarded so by the rest of the world. Savagely attacking a sovereign nation that was no threat to you, murdering hundreds of thousands of innocent people, sacrificing almost 3000 of your finest troops, maiming thousands more, torturing, using illegal weapons, rampant war profiteering, raping, burning, and more are not things that should simply be ignored. Raising the minimum wage is important, to be sure, but it is totally insignificant when seen in the context of this absolutely horrible and completely unnecessary "war of choice."