KRT Wire | 12/19/2006 | White House retreats from Iraq question

WASHINGTON – The White House refused Monday to characterize how the Iraq war is going as Americans' approval rating of President Bush's strategy hit a new low.

"I'm not playing the game anymore," White House spokesman Tony Snow said when asked about fears the U.S. is not winning in Iraq.

Snow's tactical retreat came amid questions from reporters who wanted White House reaction to former Secretary of State Colin Powell's assessment that the situation in Iraq is "grave and deteriorating," and "nothing seems to be improving."

"You're trying to summarize a complex situation with a single word or gerund, or even a participle. And the fact is that what you really need to do is to take a look at the situation and understand that it is vital to win," Snow said.

Snow's tap dance around the winning or losing question was a big step back from Bush's brash assertion two months ago that "absolutely, we're winning" in Iraq.

There goes Snow, blowing smoke again. It's a wonder the fire alarms don't go off during every press "briefing", what with his "liar, liar, pants on fire" press secretary schtick.

And would that gerund be "losing?" Probably, and it's the same with the participle.