Honesty is the best policy!

No! Mr. Baker it is not awkward. Mr. Baker is saying in his article that President Bush is doing and awkward dance while admitting faulty intelligence and bowing to pressure by John McCain. He gives us the impression that Bush is eating dust from a second place finisher in 2000 presidential race.

Once again the awkward, freighted Bush-McCain relationship with all its history of rivalry and resentment took center stage in American politics yesterday, as the second-place finisher in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries forced the first-place finisher to swallow something he once opposed.

No! It is not! It is honesty and "HONESTY is the BEST POLICY" to win hearts and minds of people. He would have been a great leader only if he knew the virtue of these qualities from the beginning. Admitting one's mistakes and embracing criticism is not awkward. These are the qualities which make great leaders. Look at the news about turn out of Sunni Muslims in Iraq vote today (I hope it is not another media tactic to paint a rosy picture or paid for story). With big turn out of Sunnis it seems like they have welcomed Bush's admittance of mistake. As a Muslim I can tell you that Muslims value honesty and truth and standby it. I wish them goodluck and hope we are witnessing a whole new chapter in the history of Iraq. Only honesty and dialogue will help the US earn more friends in Iraq. Iraqis deserve freedom and respect. I hope this election will start a new era in Iraq's history. This is a time that US should capitalize on by anouncing a concrete time table of withdrawl. This will help generate more confidence in the new parliment and especially Sunni leadership among Iraqis and the Arab world.

I would say Dionne Jr. has the quotes of the day.

1. The real patriots are not those who fall into line behind everything Bush says.
2. Democracy is about improving government through the uninhibited exchange of ideas.

And here is one from Bush to acknowledge McCain:

Senator McCain has been a leader to make sure that the United States of America upholds the values of America as we fight and win this war on terror.

I have lot of respect for this man! Republicans may win next presidential election if they choose him as a presidential candidate.