On April 29, 2006, President Bush said in his weekly Radio Address that

the enemies of freedom have suffered a real blow in recent days, and we have taken great strides on the march to victory. Iraq's leaders now have laid the foundations for a democratic government of, by, and for the Iraqi people.

I've got news for you Mr. Bush, forming a "government" in the Green Zone doesn't do much. In fact, it's going to take more than press releases and happy talk to make Iraq a democracy. Do we expect immediate results, no. But backroom deals aren't going to do much good while a large number of Iraqis feel shut out of the political system and thus resort to guns. You can talk about progress all day long, but CNN.com reports signs of that progress,

12 bodies, all shot in the head and bearing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad.

That's not a very good sign for your policies Mr. Bush. Your own State Department reports that attacks against civilians "doubled in 2005." That's not sign of progress or desperation. What it is a sign of is your failure, your incompetence, and the failure of Iraqi politicans to offer their fellow Iraqis any reason to put down their guns and join the political process. Your administration looked the other way while American contractors bribed and embezzled their way through Iraq. Your administration looked the other way while Iraqi politicians accepted bribes and embezzled funds. Your administration tried to impose cronies with little political support in Iraq and now we and the Iraqi public are bearing the fruit of your policies so stop telling us about progress.
posted by Idle Crank at 4/30/2006 02:43:00 PM