THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING President Bush said during his press conference–just about the only significant thing he said–is that regardless of the whip count, he will put a second resolution up for a vote in the U.N. Security Council.
This is remarkably bold. The normal thing to do, especially if three of the major powers are threatening vetoes, is to withdraw the resolution, and thereby try to diffuse the showdown. But Bush has chosen the path of maximum confrontation. So imagine this scenario: The United States puts forward its resolution. It gets vetoed, or even voted down by a majority of the members. And then, on the heels of U.N. rejection, the United States still launches an attack against Iraq. This would give the expression “in your face” new dimensions of meaning.
