And so it continues. Now the narrative is that if only we could get a better prime minister in Iraq (let’s completely ignore that inconvenient “democratically elected” nonsense), we can make Progress In Iraq yet again. Regime change ought to be good for at least another three Friedman Units:

Stung by criticism from Washington, Iraq’s prime minister lashed out at two Democrat detractors by name Sunday, saying that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Carl Levin need to “come to their senses.”

Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-dominated government has been widely disparaged by members of Congress for not having made enough progress in sharing power with minority Sunnis.

At a news conference in Baghdad, the prime minister reacted to last week’s calls by the two Democrats - Levin of Michigan, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Clinton of New York, who is running for president - that he should be replaced.

“There are American officials who consider Iraq as if it were one of their villages; for example, Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin,” al-Maliki said, according to an Associated Press translation. “They should come to their senses.”

This comment from Edwards is really dumb:

“I think Maliki should quit worrying about Democrats and the presidential campaign in America and start worrying about what he needs to do in his own country,” Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said on CBS’ Face the Nation.

C’mon, John, don’t insult our intelligence. Maliki knows who his real bosses are - and it ain’t the people of Iraq.