What Does Bush Desperately Need?

A scapegoat.

Bush needs somebody (other than himself) to blame for the Iraq disaster.

That's why Bush and Cheney are challenging the Democrats. They are hoping to goad the Democrats into inhibiting the "surge." How? By cutting off funding for the surge, or even better, cutting off funding of the whole bloody war.

Then Bush could say that he would have won the war if the Democrats had not gotten in the way.

The Democrats sense this. They want to have it both ways. Criticize Bush but keep him wholly responsible. The one thing they absolutely do not want is to take ownership of the war. The best outcome for the Democrats is if the Senate Republicans block the non-binding resolution.

Strangely enough, that's where Mitch McConnell seems to be taking the Republicans.