Four years of war in Iraq, and the United States has nothing to show for it but a "grave and deteriorating" situation, according to a report released yesterday by the Iraq Study Group.

The Study Group's recommendation calls for a swifter withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and an expedited turnover process of power from our troops to Iraqi forces. Unless the Iraq government regains some control over the violence in its nation, the panel suggests that the United States government reduce its military, economical and political support.

Now that he has the input of the commission he charged with the task of evaluating America's progress in Iraq, our president must decide whether or not to change America's strategy in Iraq.

Do we stay the course, or we do we cut and run?

Now what is a president to do?

Just last week, the New York Times reported that former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumseld advised in a memo dated Nov. 6 that it was time for a "major adjustment" in Iraq.

While it's refreshing to know that Rumsfeld has finally acknowledged reality, it does both the United States and Iraq no good now that he's moved on.

We're left with President George W. Bush and the few administrators who have stuck around through four years of a misdirected war on terror that has spiraled into a civil war between Iraqi cultural groups - with American and coalition forces stuck somewhere in the middle.

American citizens are left with few options but to appeal to their president, the man who said he was invading Iraq to protect his country and to free another, to admit his mistakes, rethink his goals and save as many lives as possible.

But the first step in fixing this mess is one of humility.

A president with an approval rating as low as Bush's has really nowhere to go but up in terms of effectiveness.

Forget the politics. Forget the partisanship. Forget "Mission Accomplished."

President Bush, admit what's gone wrong and tell the American people how you plan to fix it.

We need a reason to hope, and there's no one who can restore hope but you.