Bush's Message to Syria

It's kind of amusing to see President Bush encouraging Arab tyrants to let their people vote. After all the screeching about the Iraq war, it seems to have a certain persuasive power many people thought it would never have.

Remember when people said America's arrogance and unilateralism had robbed the United States of its power to influence? Hmmm — where are those people today?

Have you noticed George Bush exercising diplomatic skill and power the last couple days? He didn't invade Syria (search), he didn't bomb Syria and he didn't send Black Ops teams into Syria to have people killed. He said one word — "now." As in get out of Lebanon (search) — now.

See old Bashir Assad (search) hopping to it? He scheduled a parliament speech on Saturday and he's expected to announce Syria is pulling its troops and its secret agents out of Lebanon — uh, soon — uh, not a partial pullout — uh, soon — uh, OK, now.

"Now," says Bush — and they're gone.

Democracy now says Bush and Saudi Arabia says, oops, we decided to let women vote — and Egypt says, oops, we decided to let political parties actually run people for office.

Condi Rice is over at the State Department letting money flow to Iranian dissidents to do the work dissidents do that will send the mullahs packing.

Now.

As somebody said to me today — what did you expect Bashir Assad to do? You think he wants to find himself getting pulled out of a spider hole?

Now — it's such a simple concept. Syria, we want you to get out of Lebanon and so do the Lebanese people. Well, says Syria, we might pull people out a bit at a time.

Now, says Bush.

OK — we're going, we're going, says Syria.

One word. It's so Zen it makes haiku look like "Gone with the Wind."

Now — poof, they're gone.

If Bush keeps working on this he won't even have to say "now" — he'll just wiggle his eyebrows and despots will tremble.

I'm sorry for being amused. But now, I really am amused.

That's My Word.

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