El Pais, Spain's largest newspaper, just released transcripts of a conversation between George Bush and "Spanish [President] Jose Maria Aznar on February 22, 2003, concerning the coming U.S. invasion of Iraq. It took place at the ranch in Crawford, Texas."

I know they'll be translated soon and my Spanish isn't what it once was, but I can get what I believe to be a pretty solid paraphrase from it. Here's some relevant bits:

Durante una larga conversación privada con el entonces presidente español, José María Aznar, celebrada el sábado 22 de febrero de 2003 en el rancho de Crawford, Tejas, Bush dejó claro que había llegado el momento de deshacerse de Sadam. "Quedan dos semanas. En dos semanas estaremos militarmente listos. Estaremos en Bagdad a finales de marzo", le dijo a Aznar.

[During a private conversation with then-president of Spain Jose Maria Aznar on Saturday, February 22, 2003, at his Crawford, TX, ranch, Bush said clearly. . .not sure here. . . "I need two weeks. In two weeks we'll be militarily ready. We'll be in Baghdad by the end of March," he told Aznar."]

This while Bush publicly said that we was waiting for Saddam to disarm. Here's more:

Sólo siete días antes de esa reunión en el rancho de Crawford, tres millones de personas se manifestaban en varias ciudades de España contra la guerra inminente. "Necesitamos que nos ayudéis con nuestra opinión pública", pide Aznar. Bush le explica el alcance de la nueva resolución que piensa presentar: "La resolución estará hecha a la medida de lo que pueda ayudarte. Me da un poco lo mismo el contenido"

[Only 7 days before the meeting in Crawford, 3 million people attended various anti-war protests in Spain. "We need your help with public opinion [in Spain]," asked Aznar. Bush explained the new resolution just presented: "That resolution is a media stunt [and] it will help you. It's all the same to me."]

But like I said in the post title, this won't change anything. People who support Bush will continue to do so, because they're convinced of the superior morality of the "War on Terror," a morality that transcends silly notions like honesty and rule of law. Those that don't support Bush merely have yet another piece of clear evidence for why they don't support him.

Perhaps most importantly of all, Congressional Democrats will do nothing to capitalize on this, do nothing to resist Bush in any significant way because of this, do nothing to actually defund this war, do nothing which would make it seem like they actually pay attention to anyone outside the Beltway.

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