Froomkin does a really good job summarizing the speech last night and all the various speculation about it's meaning. Paramount in the summaries is the assumption that Plan "A" as presented will fail. So what is Plan "B"? That's the center of discussion today.

Interestingly, while everyone is looking at the Preznit's ideas for Plan B, no one is talking about what we'll all do (our collective "Plan B" in dealing with Bush given that Plan A - Democracy, isn't working) in the face of Bush ignoring democracy?

I find myself really really ambivalent about the whole discussion. On the one hand, speculating is what the media does. The punditocracy and blogosphere will take the words of the speech and try and read the tea leaves (myself included). The Preznit isn't going to come out and say that Plan B is attack Iran, or withdraw all troops, so we're all left to try and guess. And with Bush, the simplest explanation is often the most accurate. In this case, that would be that there really isn't any "Plan B".

On the other hand, I feel a certain amount of apathy. It's obvious that Bush has no respect for Democracy, the will of the people, or we would be redeploying the troops right now. I really don't think anything short of Congressional withdrawal of funds or impeachment will stop Bush from doing exactly what he wants to do. While the odds of Congress stopping him get better each time he fails in his "new ways forward", I don't think they're going to exercise the necessary check on his power right now.

It's like being on a big-ass roller coaster. I almost (almost) feel like just sitting down, putting the security bar down on my lap, and simply enduring the terrifying ride. In reality and after everything is said and done, that my be my only choice.