Bob Schieffer's commentary nails it.

From Face the Nation on Sunday:




SCHIEFFER: Finally today, I am still not sure that I believe it. The Iraqi
parliament is going on vacation during the month of August, and the White
House offers the lame excuse that, after all, Baghdad is hot in August,
sometimes 130 degrees. May I ask a follow-up? How much hotter do you suppose
it is if you are wearing a helmet, full body armor, carrying ammunition and
walking foot patrols through Baghdad? Which, the last I heard, is how
American troops are spending their August in Iraq. For me, this does it. God
help the Iraqi people, because there is not much America can do to help a
government that leaves Americans dying in the streets while the parliament
escapes to cooler climes. Does this mean we should pull out immediately? No.
A sudden withdrawal could set the entire region aflame. The truth is there
are no good options left. But from here on, we need to put aside the dream of
building a democracy in Iraq and focus solely on what is in our national
interest. It won't be pretty, but, for all our good intentions, about all we
can do now is try to contain this mess, pull our troops back from the middle
of this civil war, and concentrate instead on the terrorist threat that this
country faces around the world. As for what kind of government Iraq needs,
let their parliament figure it out. They can get right on it when the Baghdad
weather turns cooler.


That's it for us, we'll see you next week right here on FACE THE NATION.