Beyond Pitiful, Beyond Embarrassing

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel says a request by Iraq's de-facto ruler, Juan Negroponte, to divert $3.46 billion in Iraq reconstruction funds to security and economic development is "an acknowledgment that we are in deep trouble."

Only about 6 percent of the $18.4 billion reconstruction money approved by Congress last year has been spent. Hagel said, "It's beyond pitiful, it's beyond embarrassing, it's now in the zone of dangerous."

Bush meanwhile ignored the controversy over the request, ignored a UPI claim that official US casualty figures in Iraq are about 17,000 short, ignored the UN Secretary General's criticism of his "illegal" invasion, ignored a new CIA report warning that Iraq could slide into civil war, and proudly told voters in Minnesota that "freedom is on the march."

A protestor in the crowd held aloft a sign calling for "Pre-emptive Peace".