Top GOP Official - Bush 'is on brink of catastrophe' in Iraq

UK Times -- The most senior Republican authority on foreign relations in Congress has warned President Bush that the United States is on the brink of catastrophe in Iraq.

Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that Washington was in danger of creating “an incubator for terrorist cells and activity” unless it increased the scope and cost of its reconstruction efforts. He said that more troops, billions more dollars and a longer commitment were needed if the US were not to throw away the peace.

Democrats have begun to say that the US is in danger of jeopardising the success of the military action in Iraq, but Mr Lugar is by far the most senior Republican to break ranks with the White House over the issue. Mr Lugar, a moderate who expressed initial reservations about the war, said that the Government’s planning for post-war Iraq had clearly been inadequate.

The ability of the White House to fire back at Mr Lugar is limited. Mr Bush described him last week as “a fine, fine man”, after being introduced by him at a speech in Indiana.

Today is not a good time for our country, tax cuts for the wealthy, services cut for the not wealthy, declining health care, declining security, increasing government power, aggressive and irresponsible foreign and domestic policies for the benefit of the rich and powerful -- everything Democrats complained about has come through with a vengeance. GOP attitudes treated as satires and caricatures have been revealed as not imaginative enough.