How much worse could it be?

Bush's New Iraq Argument: It Could Be Worse

By Peter Baker
Washington Post,Thursday, August 24, 2006

For three years, the president tried to reassure Americans that more progress was being made in Iraq than they realized. But with Iraq either in civil war or on the brink of it, Bush dropped the unseen-progress argument in favor of the contention that things could be even worse.

Bush acknowledged this week that he has been discouraged as well. "Frustrated?" he asked. "Sometimes I'm frustrated. Rarely surprised. Sometimes I'm happy. This is -- but war is not a time of joy. These aren't joyous times. These are challenging times and they're difficult times and they're straining the psyche of our country."

The President continued,

"Yes, straining our psyches. Like straining our bowels, only mental. It's like a mental constipation, but nationwide. We need to be regular. Sometimes I'm sad. It's sad to strain mentally. But rarely am I surprised. Clueless, sometimes, but rarely surprised. Peace is happy. If we had peace we'd all be happy campers. We can all agree on that. Except Vice President Cheney."