More Dana Milbank

For Bush, War Defines Presidency (washingtonpost.com)

Bush has come to view his leadership of post-9/11 America as a matter of fate, or of God's will. He has said the country is "called to defend our nation and to lead the world to peace," and he often says the mission is to extend liberty, "God's gift to every human being in the world."

With that assumption, it is almost impossible to imagine Bush confining the war on terrorism to al Qaeda. Instead, he quickly embraced the most sweeping foreign policy proposal his most hawkish advisers had developed -- a vision of American supremacy and preemption of emerging threats -- and that policy leads inexorably to Iraq, and beyond.

God, One of the Blues Brothers as President.

Bush admires leaders who have overcome adversity by finding their life's mission, much as he has gone from drinking too much to building a new world architecture. Asked during the presidential campaign to name his favorite book, Bush cited "The Raven," a biography of Sam Houston that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1930.

Sam Houston went from being a drunk to being a war hero and President. Bush possibly forgets he was ultimately rejected by the citizens of Texas.

Bushes' Iraq Speeches Similar, Though Wars' Intents Different

It is ... surprising that, given the vastly different nature of the conflict, Bush would use many of the same arguments to justify his action that his father used to justify an entirely different action a dozen years ago.

Is he using his Dad's speech writers, too?

Also Koppel on the UN's 'ultimate standoff'

Who will blink first, the US and UK or the opposing five: France, Germany, Russia, Syria, and China. Right now, the US has four firm votes, adding Spain and Bulgaria to the UK, and thinks it can get to eight or nine.

France thinks it can carry the three African countries Angola, Cameroon and Guinea which should give it eight, which more than blocks the US resolution.

The US has put severe economic pressure on Mexico, Chile, and Pakistan as well as the African states and other members in the expectation of getting to nine.