''Bush War Policy Is Now in Play''

"For months, the politics of the Iraq war have been frozen in place, with stalwart Republicans defending President Bush's policy and most Democrats shunning a direct challenge.

Now the ice has begun to crack.

In the face of solidifying public opposition to the war, a mounting U.S. body count and a renewed focus on the faulty intelligence used to justify the war, Democratic lawmakers and candidates have sharpened their critique of the administration's policy and, in some cases, urged a withdrawal of U.S. troops.

"The mood has really shifted," said Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), who in August became the chamber's first member to call for a troop withdrawal. "We are in a whole different period."

Meanwhile, some Republicans who were strong backers of Bush's policy increasingly are distancing themselves from his optimism that the U.S. mission will be successful - even after the recent approval of an Iraqi constitution.

"I hope that is a turning point," Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said of the constitution's passage. "But there is increasing skepticism. We've had a lot of events that appeared to be turning points, but the violence continues."

The changing political dynamic was dramatized this week when Democrats launched an unusually bold challenge: They essentially shutdown the Senate to force the release of a languishing report on whether the administration had distorted or mishandled intelligence in making the case for invading Iraq. Republicans, although angered, quickly agreed to investigate the status of the report.

Even before the Senate showdown, challenges to administration policy had been multiplying. Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, recently called for new ways to accelerate troop withdrawals. Several Democratic congressional candidates began to urge Bush to set a timeline for ending U.S. involvement in the war.

The new focus on Iraq - especially after the U.S. casualty count passed 2,000 last week and after the indictment of a top White House aide who allegedly sought to discredit a high-profile war critic - underscores the issue's likely prominence in next year's election.

When other hot issues fade, "the first thing that pops back up is concern about Iraq," said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster. "Iraq is fundamental to the political debate in 2006. People are going to focus on and want to know: Where are we going and what's the plan?"

The debate next fall could look very different from the arguments today. In both parties, many believe the administration could reshape the political landscape by beginning to withdraw troops. And many Republicans believe that increased Democratic criticism of Bush's policies will drive more Americans to rally behind the president.

Democrats remain deeply divided on what alternative to offer - and whether they should offer one at all.

Yet persistent public discontent with the war has clearly strengthened the position of Democrats who urge more confrontation.

Most Americans now consider the decision to invade a mistake, according to recent polls."-excerpted from today's LA Times story, via AfterDowningStreet.org, where you can see the whole thing.