MICKEY KAUS on the surge:

I wonder how much of the blame for the “too late” part will turn out to fall on Karl Rove. It seems highly likely that Bush knew many months ago that a new Iraq plan was needed, but delayed for fear of disrupting his overconfident Republican strategist’s flat-footed midterm election strategy–even though, it seems clear now, declaring this new initiative seven months ago might have saved the Republicans in the election.

It was certainly clear — pointed out here in the past, and, much more vociferously, by Bill Quick — that Bush’s loss of support on the war was largely due to pro-war people who felt he wasn’t serious about fighting the war. So Kaus may be right.

UPDATE: Bruce Rolston is unimpressed.