He is responding to 'the realities on the ground' . . . perhaps a few more people on this thread should have worked harder to re-elect a Republican majority -- in a brutal environment in Ohio (NOT related to President Bush or Iraq by the way) my grassroots team held our ground and got our Republican Congresswoman re-elected.
Again, after Reagan's losses in the 1986 mid-term, the ubercons turned on him as well -- Republicans just love eating their own. I, however, plan to battle the real ENEMY not our Commander in Chief!
I'm not battling our president. I am encouraging him to fight. He owes it to the troops.