WILL BUSH STAY ABOVE THE FRAY yet again in the face of another outrage? Bush has tried to maintain "presidential decorum," if you will, throughout his term in office, refusing to vigorously and directly address the outrageous allegations and assertions made against him by far left democrats.

The latest comes from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the woman currently plotting with John Murtha to declare defeat and end U.S. involvement in Iraq. In response to her machinations, Vice President Cheney opined that their plan would "validate al Qaeda" strategy to "break the will of the American people."

Speaker Pelosi has taken extreme umbrage at this remark, calling the President's office and demanding that he "repudiate" Cheney's remarks, claiming it is an attack on her patriotism and "beneath the dignity of the debate we're engaged in and a disservice to our men and women in uniform, whom we all support." The President was not available at the time and has yet to respond.

I think that Bush's greatest failing has been his inability to communicate effectively. That inability, coupled with his "presidential decorum," has allowed the left to gain momentum over time with their often outragous assertions. Reagen could pull off "presidential decorum" in such a situation; Bush cannot. And it has been the steady drumbeat of such things as "Bush lied" without an effective counter communication from Bush directly addressing Pelosi, Reid, Shumer and their kin that has greatly contributed to Bush's current position. Now is at least one opportunity to respond.

Were I President Bush, my public response would be:

"To Speaker Pelosi, who has expressed her anger because of remarks by Vice President Cheney that her plan to end the surge by placing restrictions on deployment of our troops to Iraq, that such would validate Al Qaeda's plan, I say to you that Vice President Cheney is, of course, not questioning your patriotism, but rather stating a cold fact. I will not question your patriotism, Madame Speaker. I do, however, very much question your judgment, and I do believe that you are seeking to win in our national politics more then you are seeking to successfully win -- or "manage," as you put it -- our undertaking in Iraq. What will happen if we leave Iraq now is not something which is, to use your words, "beneath the dignity of the debate," rather it is the very center of the debate, madame.

I have proposed and begun to implement a military plan which is designed to bring the situation in Iraq under control over time. It needs a chance to work. If you truly believe that we can leave Iraq now and not be in a worse situation, then act with political courage and submit a bill to defund the war. If not, then I call on you and all people of this nation, including this Congress, to support our military -- not just with empty words and platitudes -- but by truly supporting their mission in this surge while they fight for our country. Either of those acts would be patriotic, Madame Speaker.

One can only dream.

UPDATE: Its Cheney doing the talking:

"She accused me of questioning her patriotism," Cheney said. "I didn't question her patriotism. I questioned her judgment."