Editorial: A weakened president

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007 | 7:07 a.m.

P resident Bush's job-approval ratings are abysmal, caused mostly by overwhelming public opposition to the Iraq war. So his administration desperately needs a jump-start if it is to accomplish anything of substance in his remaining two years in office - two years in which Democrats will control Congress. But if the president hoped that his State of the Union message on Tuesday would provide that spark, we think he is going to be disappointed.

Bush talked about his ideas on education, health care and energy, but the reality is that the president's failed war in Iraq has consumed his presidency - and any other message he was trying to get out Monday. The reason for this is simple: The president is continuing his failed policies, and increasing the number of troops by more than 20,000 in Iraq is likely to worsen the situation there.

Nonetheless, here is what the president had to say to members of Congress and a national television audience: "Many in this chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching. If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides."

That the president still peddles such nonsense is amazing. Bush's war in Iraq already has become a failure - it is not a question of whether it will be a failure. The Middle East has become an even more unstable region than before the Iraq war, particularly with Iran taking advantage of the civil war in Iraq.

It also is preposterous for Bush to suggest that if U.S. military forces withdraw from Iraq it would result in Iraq's government being overrun by extremists. Baghdad already is overrun by extremists, and some of those very extremists propping up the Maliki government, which the Bush administration supports, are the ones killing our American men and women in uniform.

As a result of the Iraq war, the president's credibility has suffered. If the president hopes to regain the confidence of the American people, it will require straight talk. Bush had better hurry - the clock is fast running out on his presidency.