I knew this would happen

The Rascal, prescient as usual, had nothing to say the other day when the rest of the political world was all atwitter over Republican Sen. Richard Lugar's celebrated about-face on the issue of the war in Iraq.

My take on the matter was that Lugar, who's ordinarily no more given to political boldness than Dick Cheney is to serious constitutional scholarship, would back away from his apostasy once he found a horse's head in his bed courtesy of his party's henchmen.

Well, the head apparently has been delivered, and Lugar has backed off a bit. No matter his rhetoric on the Senate floor this past Monday, he now says he shan't be voting for any deadlines or any other such Democratic notions on how to end the conflict.

Still, the man's unbosoming of his doubts about the wisdom of staying the course in Iraq has served the salutary purpose of gaining headlines and advancing the perception that Republicans are becoming ever more unsettled about this stupid war.

So, thanks for that, Senator, if nothing else.