Both Bush and Rice beg Iraq to please not have a civil war,

Hoping to help prevent Iraq's bloody sectarian violence from turning into civil war, President Bush on Friday urged Iraqis to exercise restraint in a critical "moment of choosing." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on political factions to renew efforts to form a unity government.

Bush praised Iraq's political and religious leaders who have taken steps _ apparently with some success _ to halt the unrest that exploded after Wednesday's bombing of one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines. Almost 130 have died in that attack on the Askariya Shrine in Samarra and in the wave of deadly reprisals that followed.

"We can expect the coming days will be intense. Iraq remains a serious situation," Bush said in a speech to The American Legion. "But I'm optimistic, because the Iraqi people have spoken, and the Iraqi people made their intentions clear. ... They want their country to be a democracy."

It is at times like this that I remember Colin Powell's Pottery Barn quote, "You break it, you own it." Well George you broke it! And now, unfortunately, you own the repercussions of your actions.

I doubt very seriously that there is anything that Bush, or anybody, in this administration could say that would mean a damn thing to these Iraqi's!

At this point saying "please don't fight" is like throwing somebody in the water and saying "please don't get wet!" The best we can do is get our troops out of the damn way and let this thing work itself out.