Demagogue

There are growing signs that President Bush — once he returns from the oracle at Delphi — will propose a short-term increase in troops in Iraq. Writing in Newsweek, Christopher Dickey contends that the troop surge would be a bad idea:

I hope the president really does listen to his generals and to the Iraq Study Group and to others who are explaining to him ever so patiently that the surge would be a bad idea.

Maybe a sports metaphor would work: this is like calling a quarterback sneak for a final desperate push into the end zone — when you’re still back at the 50-yard line.