Editorial

'Stay the course' about to meander

Bush administration's Iraq plans will see change soon

Our troops are seeing the bloodiest violence since the 2003 invasion and causalities are skyrocketing for both sides, but Bush has taken a new step in addressing the urgent dissent in Iraq. His administration and coalition leaders don't have new timetables drawn up or a concise plan for withdrawal, but they are no longer using the phrase "stay the course" when referring to the war - a stance many felt was a blind policy that disregarded the need to adapt and assess the situation. While this new stance may seem insignificant, the change of rhetoric spells flexibility and hope that something may be done about the war many Americans feel is already lost.

Political analysts can speculate, news reporters can investigate, but no one can truly be sure of what that change will really be. All we know is that it is coming, and with military casualties on the rise, this change may come sooner than we think.

It may just seem like picking at words or over-analyzing the most inarticulate administration in history, but looking at the recent intensified insurgency in Iraq, this change in wording coincides with a time when war strategies are in a desperate need of reassessment. The Bush administration has not gone right out to say that troop deployment will triple in the next month, and they certainly haven't told us that they plan to "cut and run," but they have made it clear that what they are doing now is not working. We are in a standstill in Iraq, and the government has finally recognized it.

Despite the beating-around-the-bush approach towards new war strategies, the abandonment of this simple phrase foreshadows a change in the Bush administration's approach to Iraq; and for that, Americans need to brace for impact.

Great news for Western New York?

Toll lifting is a small ingredient in economy revitalization

Niagara Thruway tolls may be removed from Breckenridge and Ogden exits as a result of painstaking efforts by local leaders. Officials said the measure will lighten commuting costs by eliminating an unnecessary Republican pork barrel fund, but aside from the upfront 75-cent discount, greater economical advantages are still a big question mark.

The two tolls will disappear, but what does this minor toll lift really mean for the area? Politicians, like Brian Higgins, have been advocating such measures in order to open Buffalo up to commuting workers and businesses, but this toll lifting is only a small stepping-stone to getting this city back on its feet.

On the optimistic side, here's a fantastic list of things you can do with that 75 cents you saved:

Yen Buy 75 pieces of penny candy (76 pieces if bought in Canada)

Yen Play a game of air hockey - the closest you can get to a Sabres experience with that kind of budget

Yen Get a USA Today and a free book of matches (use your imagination)

Yen Adopt an underprivileged Ethiopian child through the Christian Child Ministry Compassion program for a day

Yen Split a McDonald's crispy chicken snack wrap with a friend

Yen Get two movie tickets, a cheeseburger and a milkshake (when your grandparents were your age)

Yen Heat your freezing home for a couple of hours

Yen Get enough gas at Mobil to get you across the street to fill up at Noco

Yen Buy a quarter cup of cappuccino at Starbucks (sip-size)