Lugar's Iraq speech making waves on Capitol Hill and beyond

Senator Dick Lugar's speech on Monday night is making waves. This morning, the Senator appeared on the Today Show (where he had to defend himself against a quote from the brilliant war strategist/FOX News pundit, Fred Barnes).

For the past few months, there has been an expectation that some Republican senator would finally stand up to Bush on his failed Iraq policy. Bush has been leading the GOPers off a political cliff with his failed strategy -- so something had to give. "Everyone" seemed to think it would be John Warner from Virginia. Instead, it was Lugar. And, the ramifications are just beginning.

Lugar's speech finally made the front pages today of the Washington Post and the New York Times. Both articles highlighted the major split between the stalwart, steady reliable Republican from Indiana and George Bush.

The Washington Post

The harsh judgment from one of the Senate's most respected foreign-policy voices was a blow to White House efforts to boost flagging support for its war policy, and opened the door to defections by other Republicans who have supported the administration despite increasing private doubts.

The New York Times:

Senator Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee and a steadfast supporter of the president, has conspicuously broken ranks with him on the Iraq war, warning that the United States’ standing in the world could be irreparably eroded if the White House does not change strategy soon.

The questions is whether harsh judgments and conspicuously breaking ranks will have any impact on George Bush. Nothing else has had an impact.