Contradicting Bush’s Optimism: “CIA officers in Iraq are warning that the country may be on a path to civil war, current and former U.S. officials said Wednesday, starkly contradicting the upbeat assessment that President Bush gave in his State of the Union address.

The CIA officers’ bleak assessment was delivered verbally to Washington this week, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the classified information involved.” Knight-Ridder [via CommonDreams]

Meanwhile: Bush: “Don’t Change Leaders in Mid-War”: “President Bush, focusing on a subject sure to be prominent in his re-election campaign, said Thursday his administration is notching successes in the war against terrorism but will not let up while danger lingers.” Salon News Of course, another way to put this is, “…not let up while my tenure in the White House depends on it”?