Iraq Government on the Verge....

CBS News exclusively reported yesterday that the Iraq government is now in crisis.

Senior Iraqi leaders are demanding a drastic change. On July 15 they plan to ask for a no-confidence vote in the Iraqi parliament.... with the end game being to bring down the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The largest block of Sunni politicians.... part of a broad political alliance called the Iraq Project.... want a new government run by "ministers who are appointed for their expertise, not their party loyalty."

Wow! Can we get these guys to D.C.?

"Closed Door" Cheney discussed this Iraq Project with Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi on his most recent visit to Baghdad. Hashimi made it clear that cosmetic changes only aren't acceptable, "what we need is much bigger than that," he warned.

So.... since the White House knows about the impending instability in the central government, what has been their response?

"Administration Shaving Yardstick for Iraq Gains.... Goals Unmet; Smaller Strides to Be Promoted." (WaPo)

That's right, they are lowering the bar. The White House when selling the surge (did you know it's called the Phantom Thunder offensive?) assured that it would allow the government of Maliki to "take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November."

However, their interim July report that was demanded by Congress will "boast" that Iraqi political leaders managed last month to agree on a unified response to the bombing of a major religious shrine.

And just how many lives of our troops was that worth?

It's probably hard to put out a report on Maliki's progress when the administration knows full well that he's likely to be given the unceremonious boot.

The fine hand of the Saudi royals can be seen in this overthrow move. They are uneasy with an increasingly powerful Shiite Iran and the dangerous ineffectiveness of Maliki's Shiite-dominated government. The Saudis may be the real "Phantom" behind a move to oust Maliki.

But we're left in the dark to only speculate. As one top administration official reflected privately.... "The heart of darkness is the president.... Nobody knows what he thinks, even the people who work for him."

That's because Bush is waiting for the soul of darkness Cheney to whisper in his ear. And, his whispers have the force of "Thunder" in the empty head of shallow boy George.