From today’s Chicago Tribune:

Sober report on Iraq
Progress review mixed; Bush says ‘surge’ needs time

Wistful president talks of politics, principles

By Michael Tackett
Tribune senior correspondent
Published July 13, 2007

WASHINGTON — He rode into office on plain speech and core conviction. In the years following the Sept. 11 attacks and throughout the Iraq war, that persona of tough resolve had only hardened. But on Thursday, President Bush found himself almost wistful, conjuring a rocking-chair moment at his Texas ranch when he will reconcile his unpopularity with the knowledge that he honored his principles about the war.

In a notable departure from his typical approach, during a White House news conference beamed out to the world, the president acknowledged the personal toll of sticking with his beliefs when they were so profoundly in opposition to those of the American people.

…

Like students complaining about the questions on a test, the Pentagon tried to help the president, arguing that the benchmark tests set by Congress were in effect designed in such a way as to ensure they would not be met.

The full article is here.

The print article actually has an accompanying image that its online version does not. It’s pretty much the same kind of image I’m including on this post.

The inclusion of a picture of a sober, tight-lipped Bush alongside an article about how something he was involved in went horribly wrong is getting a bit old for me.

I think it’s very appropriate that the author of this article makes the analogy of Bush needing help in school.

When I see these kinds of articles + images, Bush reminds me of a lazy-ass summer school student, who you, as his teacher, are admonishing for his poor performance on a test. He is wearing the expression for your benefit, so you’ll feel that he is listening at you, and in the future will be determined to do a good job. However, in reality, he just doesn’t give a shit, and will just muddle through your class without the slightest bit of effort.

I’d say flunk the bastard, but I’d rather just have him out of my school system.