Never having to change their tune

War cheerleaders and "liberal" cover providers Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack are now back to their usual tricks.

"Hey, Rich Lowry, we're winning!"

Once again, being consistently wrong about Iraq means not only never having to say you're sorry...but being allowed to spill your bullshit ad infinitum.

To his credit, Joe Klein manages not to be irritating, in addressing these two morons.

Meanwhile, Maliki wants Patraeus gone, not that Patraeus agrees...

And little Georgie decides to make things infinitely worse:

Liz Sly of the Trib reports on the tense Iraqi-Turkish border, made perilous by the safe harbor offered the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) guerrillas by the leaders of Iraqi Kurdistan. At the last checkpoint under Iraqi control, she is told, "There could be bombing, and there are terrorists everywhere."

This delicate problem, which could blow up the northern reaches of the Middle East, requires delicate diplomacy, right? Nope. Bush thinks all problems can be resolved with violence. Dark Prince Bob Novak says that Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman has briefed Congress on a covert US operation to help Turkey suppress the PKK. The quid pro quo would be that Turkey would not invade northern Iraq.

The problem? The Kurds are the only firm ally the US had in Iraq, and US special ops troops getting directly involved against the PKK might well alienate the Kurds in general. You can hear W.'s fingernails squeak as they dig into the face of the high cliff down which he is gradually sliding.

Juan Cole has quite a snark gene.

UPDATE: Meanwhile in the emerging paradise Pollack and O'Hanlon dream about by staying in the Green Zone and meeting those with a vested interest in blowing smoke up their ass...

BAGHDAD - A minibus exploded Monday in a Baghdad market, killing at least six people — a brutal reminder of the dangers facing Iraqis, who only hours ago were joyously united after their underdog national soccer team won the prestigious Asian Cup.

The U.S. military also said three soldiers had been killed in fighting in Anbar province west of Baghdad last Thursday. The deaths raised to at least 3,651 members of the U.S. military who have died since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

In all, 58 people nationwide were killed by bombings and attacks.