Black Box Report

Expect a lot of posturing tonight - from the President of course, but also from Democrats who have to figure out what party they want to grow up to be. You can almost write the speeches for them. Bush - patience, progress on the ground, stay the course. Democrats - failure, quagmire, what’s the point with the status quo?

We've heard all this rhetoric before.

By know, I suspect most of you have made up your mind if Iraq is worth the sacrifice, and no speech will convince you otherwise. But dramatic change is possible, and it rests in the hands of a dozen Republicans. Senators like Hagel and Warner have already announced next year will be their last in Washington and their conscience, like some of the colleagues, might say “enough is enough.” Other Republicans may weigh their political prospects of re-election, as unhappy state voters may retire them against their will if they continue to support the war.

So the self-interest and soul searching of a dozen conflicted Republicans really holds the future of our military presence in Iraq in the balance. Democrats, in particular, are awaiting their decision. After campaigning and winning on a promise of bringing the troops home from Iraq if restored to the majority - they better deliver. Sure, their majority is razor thin and yes, expectations may be inflated - but thems the breaks. If they want to quell an uprising with the anti-war crowd and win big again in ‘08 they better find a way to deliver more than the President will promise at nine o'clock.

As much as some screamers on the fringe would like you to believe, America is becoming more tolerant. Whether it's who marries whom, or who can become parents or what jobs women can handle - the public seems ahead of a lot of the ugly discourse.

For what it's worth, I’ve got a theory as to why. First off, people are exposed to a great deal more than a generation ago, and the taboo of the unknown isn't so scary when you see it with your own two eyes. But secondly, and even more important to me is that we are all so busy. We live in a world and a time where there aren't enough hours in a day to manage our own lives without the added challenge of playing moral majority over everyone else. I can't fathom the concept of obsessing over my neighbors’ sex lives let alone caring about their colors of sexual preferences. For all the people who grip with white knuckles to the barrier of same sex marriage - listen, it's coming, and it's going to happen sooner than later.

For the population who still believes people can’t live and let live, I won't try and change your mind. I only wish you'd give me all that free time - I could use it.