The democratic republic of Hamas

It looks like Bush may be racking up some potential big wins. Alito is poised to sail through. Evidence is mounting that Saddam had the goods after all. Evidence is also mounting that the Iraq insurgency may be long its last legs.

But on another front, Bush appears to have hit a boulder in the road. Bush’s foreign policy has been predicated on the nostrum of liberation as the remedy for terrorism. He naively sees the source and solution in political rather than religious terms.

And now the democratic process has elected Hamas. This was predicable.

However, even this may be for the good in the long run. Strengthening the hand of Israel’s mortal enemies also serves to strengthen the hand of hawks like Netanyahu, who makes Sharon look like a pussycat.

At the same time there is increasing public support for Bush to take out Iran’s WMD program. Perhaps the question is who gets there first—Israel or us.

It is likely that Bush will get one or more additional chances to reshape the Supreme Court before his second term comes to an end. The confirmation of Roberts, followed by Alito, is a promising omen. And if other things go his way as well, Bush will have even more political capital to parlay into judicial nominees.

For now, a lot is hanging on the mid-term Congressional elections.