LIE OF THE WEEK: 07-13-2007

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on grading the Iraqi government's efforts:

"I don't agree that you would give it (the al-Maliki government) a failing grade. You would say that it's a work in progress. You would say that they have not made inconsequential movement forward on some of the important benchmarks, particularly those involving security."

THE TRUTH: The Iraqi government is no more a work in progress than the Bush administration. Both have shown their true colors and it is right to judge them now rather than waiting for any arbitrary deadline. The Iraqi government has shown a willingness to let its sectarian majority overrule all else and has even let the extremists rule the day in terms of policy and in terms of allowing their militias to infiltrate and control government security services and the army. The Bush administration has shown themselves to be in denial about the realities they are facing and stubborn despite all of the facts and evidence indicating the severe failure of their government's policies on almost every front. It's time to let democracy rule the day and allow the will of the American people to override that of the political operatives who currently insulate the president in a bubble and do not allow the truth of current events to lead to better decision-making.