Empty Political Slogans

Bush and the GOP like to talk about "staying the course" until we "win" in Iraq. But what does that mean?

- What does "stay the course" really mean? Does it mean simply continuing with the same strategies? And what have they resulted in other than more American soldiers being killed since "mission accomplished" than died in actual combat in Iraq?

- What does "win" in Iraq mean? Does it mean a cessation of sectarian killing that rather seems to be escalating? Does it mean an operating goernment that can deliver basic services on a fairly reliable basis, which is certainly still not the case today? Does it mean a stable and functioning democracy, which seems less and less likely as each day passes?

- Or are "stay the course" and "winning" in Iraq nothing more than political slogans that have no substance. Given the Bush / GOP track record for empty sloganeering --- "no child left behind" comes to mind as an example of a slogan that had no substance --- I'd suggest that they are indeed empty slogans.