This headline, "Bush Listens to Suggestions on Iraq, seems quite telling to me.

The fact that the headline, which is usually meant to highlight the most newsworthy info in an article, is shouting that Bush "listened" to suggestions regarding Iraq, underlines the fact that he has been reluctant to hear it before.

By all means it is good that Bush is bringing in critics to discuss Iraq. But why now, finally? Why not before?

Perhaps it's the fact that another purported milestone in Iraq's march towards democracy isn't proving to be the cure-all that the Administration predicted it to be, as evidenced by today's attacks resulting in the death of atleast 100 people. As this Times article notes, these attacks followed the death of 50 more people on Wednesday.

Perhaps its all PR. Who knows. And who knows if they will be listened to. The Administration has certainly had no problem ignoring outside suggestions and criticismbefore. Call me cynical, but the past five years have made it hard to take to heart when Bush says he will take criticism "to heart."

And of course, Bush is still being quite particular about the criticism he does here, as the Times article points out:

"The unusual gathering continues an aggressive public relations push by the president that began last month. The White House hosted similar briefings for several groups of Congress members, including Democrats sympathetic to Bush's approach in Iraq."

No one from the opposition who actually opposes can be heard, just Joe Lieberman