It was a classic Bush cut 'n run.

His vague remake of stay the course seemed little more than...a vague remake of stay the course.

This one featured Petraeus for cover, but little has changed. Nor will it.

The president said - in a telling moment - that our involvement in Iraq will be an 'enduring relationship' that will last beyond his term in office.

New phrase, same story, with the coda:

Somebody else will have to pick up the pieces. Very likely, it will be up to us Dem's.

He'll be in a condo in Houston. His cohorts will be consultants, talking heads or felons.

Bush bails again.