Isn't it odd how otherwise entirely futile journalistic enterprises sometimes get the juiciest scoops? That's what I'm thinking this morning, considering that the explosive draft report of the Iraq commission chaired by Howard Baker was leaked to the New York Sun.

And yes, it is explosive, ruling out victory and democracy both:

WASHINGTON — A commission formed to assess the Iraq war and recommend a new course has ruled out the prospect of victory for America, according to draft policy options shared with The New York Sun by commission officials.

Currently, the 10-member commission — headed by a secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush, James Baker — is considering two option papers, "Stability First" and "Redeploy and Contain," both of which rule out any prospect of making Iraq a stable democracy in the near term.

Sounds an awful lot like cut and run to me, but what would I know? After all, I'm a lefto America-hating hippie who only said from late 2002 that this was going to be a disaster.

More telling, however, is the ruling out of two options last month. One advocated minor fixes to the current war plan but kept intact the long-term vision of democracy in Iraq with regular elections. The second proposed that coalition forces focus their attacks only on Al Qaeda and not the wider insurgency.

Instead, the commission is headed toward presenting [..] Bush with two clear policy choices that contradict his rhetoric of establishing democracy in Iraq. The more palatable of the two choices for the White House, "Stability First," argues that the military should focus on stabilizing Baghdad while the American Embassy should work toward political accommodation with insurgents. The goal of nurturing a democracy in Iraq is dropped.

Now, a tiny part of me feels sorry for the righties who have been advocating for and defending this monumental disaster; that tiny part that doesn't remember how sensible people said from the start that this abortion of a war was going to cost us pride and honor both. But no - ya just had to go in, didn't ya? Some of us said that Iraq would be our very own West Bank, and you scoffed. Even more said that George Bush was lying, that his entire administration was doing the same, and that they had no fucking clue what they were doing. Nonsense, you said. You must hate America, you said.

And there you have it: republicans started a war, and now, that war is lost. Guess what: it's your fault.

No weapons of mass destruction, no flourishing democracy, no remaking of the Middle East, nothing except mountains of coffins slinking into Dover AFB in the dark of night. Oh, and those pictures from Abu Ghraib - which you're also responsible for.

We still have two more years to go of this administration, perhaps. But it's not too early to say that when the history books get written, the headline over this particular chapter will read something like "Disaster" or "Dishonor".

Congratulations, republicans. This is your disaster and your failure. You own this.

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