Bush stands alone.

President Bush has yet to present his new strategy on Iraq and not surprisingly the Democratic Congressional leaders are signaling that they will fight any plan that calls for deploying more US troops.

The President made a decision to attack Iraq with a stated goal of eliminating weapons of mass destruction and remove the Saddam regime. He accomplished that goal. He continues with dogged determination to risk American assets and lives to create an Iraqi Democracy. There is no evidence that the Iraqis themselves have any more interests beyond achieving a reasonable degree of security. Security can be achieved and the US has a responsibility to assist in that goal.

Most experts on the Middle East advised against the Iraq venture. The President's father through Jim Baker tried to get him to moderate his Iraq democracy ambition. Some of the Nation's top brass has as well. The President believes in some alchemy that will turn lead into gold. If the Iraqis some day decide they want to become a democracy that will be well and good. In the meantime President Bush is going to be given a reminder about democracy. Elections mean something and losing them has consequences.

The Democrats have signaled they are available and willing to exercise their newly achieved authority. That should be a sobering experience for the President. That is the way it works. Standing alone can lead to greatness or calamity. It is an all or nothing risk.