Iraqi Governement Report Card 2008 OMG!

 The Center for American Progress issued the following report that showed the Iraqi government (loose term) met only THREE of the EIGHTEEN mandated benchmarks for contined U.S. Support:

Government Benchmarks:
Perform constitutional review. - Unmet
Enact de-Ba'athification reform. - Partial
Form semi-autonomous regions. - Unmet
Hold provincial elections. - Unmet
Address amnesty. - Unmet
Establish support for Baghdad Security Plan. - Met
Ensure minority rights in Iraqi legislature. - Met
Keep Iraqi Security Forces free from partisan interference. - Unmet

Security Benchmarks:
Disarm militias. - Unmet
Provide military support in Baghdad. - Partial
Empower Iraqi Security Forces. - Partial
Ensure impartial law enforcement. - Unmet
Establish support for Baghdad Security Plan by Maliki government. - Unmet
Reduce sectarian violence. - Partial
Establish neighborhood security in Baghdad. - Met
Increase independent Iraqi Security Forces. - Unmet

Economic Benchmarks:
Implement oil legislation. - Unmet
Distribute Iraqi resources equitably. - Partial

Now, I understand that Iraqi culture is different from ours and that its THEIR country not ours...I get all that.  But their failures to meet the majority of the benchmarks means one of two things.  Either they can't or they won't.  Its really that simple.  Either way, how can we continue doing business this way with the Iraqi government.  Understandably, they have problems that are well documented as it applies to building a stable, democratic government.  But the lack of effort as evidenced by the (in)famous recess by their government while OUR troops are dying in the field, is enough to make even the most conservative of politicians throw their hands up in disgust.  As momentous a mistake of invading Iraq was, the Iraqi government knows our threats of pulling out funding OR troops is as hollow as Rumsfeld's skull.  And like it or not, irrespective of which political party is in power next year and irrespective of the Democrat's wailing to the contrary, we are there for the foreseeable future.  And it appears that the U.S., instead of making more threats, have instead adopted a new course, one of lowering the expectations.  U.S. officials in Iraq still talk about preserving the country's nascent democratic institutions, but they say their ambitions aren't as "lofty" as they once had been.

 I guess the old saying is true.  "If ya can't beat em....then lower your expectations to such a point that the new stated expectations are completely unrecognizeable to the original expectations - and if that still doesn't work, repeat the process until you can claim victory".