President Bush (remember him?) says that the fighting in Basra is "A defining moment in the history of a free Iraq."

It is a history that will be remembered for 100 years if John McCain, age 847, is elected president in November.

Of course, all nations have a defining moment and it's often a bloody one.  Bush is right, this is a defining moment.

And Iraq will be defined as, um, Star Wars.  Ish. well it's not but if I cram all the history together into a jumble and you read it really fast, you will see that Bush is right:

Nouri Maliki was just a talented politician until he forged an alliance with the charismatic Shia Moqtada al Sadr.  Sadr thrust Maliki into power but then Maliki turned on Sadr.  The two reached an uneasy truce which lasted until a few days ago.  Now Maliki is personally leading Iraqi security forces and some ragtag militias against Sadr and his Sadrists (who need a better name) and George Bush thinks this is some sort of victory for the Iraqi government that we installed when really Maliki isn't doing so well and Sadr has responded to Maliki's calls that he lay down his arms and get out of Basra by saying "No, you lay down your arms and get out of Basra!"

Don't forget that Maliki and Sadr used to like each other.

Remember when we used to argue about whether or not Iraq had fallen into civil war?  Well now we have to redefine that.  A civil war usually has a few distinct players.  This is an all out grab for power as Iraq's government fails again.

A defining moment, indeed.

For the next 100 years.  Remember that.  John McCain isn't troubled by any of this.