By Bruce B. Brugmann

Maureen Dowd, in her Wednesday New York Times column, had a telling quote:

"With the surge, as with the invasion of Iraq, W. is like the presumptuous date 'who reserves a hotel room and then asks you to the prom,' as my friend Dana Calvo put it."

On the eve of Bush's speech to surge, escalate, and accelerate in Iraq, she ended her column with Ted Kennedy and his apt remarks after his speech Tuesday to the National Press Club about his legislation that would require Congressional approval before troop levels can be increased. (See previous blog.)

She quoted Kennedy as saying, "'The horse will be out of the barn by the time we get there. The president makes his speech now. We're going to get the appropriation request probably the end of January, early February.'"
He said it could take eight more weeks for Congress to act. "'By that time, the troops will already be there. And then we'll be asked, are we going to deny body armor to the young men and women over there?'"

In other words, Dowd points out, "the president will ask us to the prom once he reserves the hotel room." B3