It took about a week for the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations to go from toast of the town to totally irrelevant. Apparently, the White House was a little concerned the ISG report would be well received, but now that it has no genuinely enthusiastic backers anywhere in politics, the president has been “emboldened by criticism of its proposals.”
Indeed, according to a front-page piece in the WaPo today, Condi Rice indicated that the for all the talk about a “new way forward,” the new plan is probably going to look quite a bit like the old plan.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday rejected a bipartisan panel’s recommendation that the United States seek the help of Syria and Iran in Iraq, saying the “compensation” required by any deal might be too high. […]
Rice also said there would be no retreat from the administration’s push to promote democracy in the Middle East, a goal that was de-emphasized by the Iraq Study Group in its report last week but that Rice insisted was a “matter of strategic interest.” […]
Rice’s remarks indicated that, despite a maelstrom of criticism of Bush’s policies by outside experts and Democrats, the administration’s extensive review of policy in Iraq and the region will not yield major changes in its approach. Rice said that Bush could be “quite expansive” in terms of a policy review and that the new plan would be a “departure.” But the president will not radically change any of his long-term goals or commitment to Iraq, she said.
In response to this, Ezra asks a good question, “At this point…shouldn’t the media be freaking out?”
Bush has contravened the bipartisan sanctity of the ISG, ruled out the treasured solutions of every pundit whose paychecks aren’t signed by Murdoch, and promised to do precisely what the American people overwhelmingly voted against in November. The obstinance of this crew has emerged an almost transcendent quality — and yet you still have Tom Friedman begging Bush to become an environmentalist, David Ignatius suggesting he talk to Syria.
When will the media realize Bush doesn’t care what they think, cease talking about what he should do, and begin, relentlessly and mercilessly, talking about what he is doing?
Dare to dream, Ezra. I’m right there with you.
On a related note, Matt Yglesias explained that when it comes to negotiating with Iran and Syria, “it’s time to grow up.”
Sitting around in the Situation Room and deciding that other countries just should do what we want them to do so there’s no need for diplomacy is insane. The way the world works is that if you want some countries to do some things, you need to discuss this fact with them, ascertain what their actual views on the matter are, see what they would want you to do in exchange, and then make a decision. Rice rejected this option “saying the ‘compensation’ required by any deal might be too high.” Get that again. She won’t talk to Syria and Iran to explore options because the price might — might — be too high. Why not find out?
I don’t know; maybe because it might lead to a rational foreign policy?