Stand Up Or Stand Down?

If subtle, this shot in yesterday’s NYT was surprisingly weighty.

The accompanying story reviewed the confirmation hearings considering the nomination of Adm. William (“Who said anything about Iran?”) Fallon to command U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf.  Primarily however, the article (Senate Allies of Bush Work to Halt Iraq Vote – link) summarized the intense political battle behind a proposed Senate resolution to oppose Bush’s troop escalation in Iraq.

What makes the photo intriguing — featuring bipartisan Bush escalation critics Hagel, Lugar and Biden (the first two, Republicans)– is its thoroughly bipolar nature.  At the confrontation point, are these guys going to master the fine print, honor their seriousness and determination, and push ahead … or are they going to duck?

(Stephen Crowley/The New York Times.  January 30, 2007.  Washington.  nytimes.com)