ARTICLE: 'Second Life for Study Group: Iraq Woes Lead To a Reappraisal,' By Michael Abramowitz, Washington Post, May 21, 2007; Page A01

If the ISG's ideas are finally pursued for real, then the Big Bang can be salvaged. But that whole process must begin with the realization that we find a place for Iran in the region, and on that basis get ourselves back in the business of subverting through business as opposed to trying to isolate an Iran that will only retaliate against us and our efforts throughout the region. That was always the underlying message of the ISG: first things first and stop trying to roll the entire region all at once. The long war doesn't have to be wrapped up in one administration (duh!), any more than the Cold War, so handwringing over who "loses" what or who "wins" is silly. This is going to be a long sequence of events, with hard kills rare and soft kills prevalent--just like in the Cold War. Not rocket science, just patience--and the maturity to move beyond Bush's incompetency and need for vindication. So we'll see if things finally get realistic, or whether the war-mongering on Iran will continue as an additional track doomed to derail this one. Time to trash the talking points, Secretary Rice, and begin assuming the responsibility of your post for real.