I think I am beginning to understand Bush's concept of the will of the people, as well as his conviction.
When a majority of the Congress and the American people express their opinion that it is time to replace his failed strategy with something new that includes a plan for phased redeployment, the Bush response is "we must stay to fight al Queda there so they dont have to fight them here (he only referred to al Queda 19 times in his 60 minute press conference)
That is until, the Iraqi paliament says otherwise:
Q Thank you, Mr. President. You say you want nothing short of victory, that leaving Iraq would be catastrophic; you once again mentioned al Qaeda. Does that mean that you are willing to leave American troops there, no matter what the Iraqi government does? I know this is a question we've asked before, but you can begin it with a "yes" or "no."
THE PRESIDENT: We are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government. This is a sovereign nation. Twelve million people went to the polls to approve a constitution. It's their government's choice. If they were to say, leave, we would leave.
So its damn the American public and Congress, but he will only answer to the will of the Iraqi government. Oh well, there goes his conviction about staying to fight those al Queda wannabees if the radical Muqtada al-Sadr, who may very well control a majority block in the Iraq parliament, says get out. (
Sadarist Push US Withdrawal Timetable)
I think the bird dumping on Bush during the press conference is highly symbolic or at the very least, amusing and well deserved for a man who has such crappy conviction for the democratic process.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3209176