Howard Fineman allows more drivel to escape from his keyboard.

A lot of this has to do with the president’s negotiating style. It’s a mix of Bible Belt certitude and West Texas bluster: You declare that you are in the right, stake the most aggressive land claim in all the oil patch, talk big and strong, and dare them to call your bluff. But it doesn’t work that way in the Grand Bazaar, where you need to hide your intentions and examine the merchandise with care. The president hasn’t always done either. As a result, he’s been outmaneuvered by some of the world’s slickest shopkeepers: the Turks, the French, even Saddam. And now Bush is buying war at what could be a very high price.

But if the shopowners in the bazaar suddenly have a large sum of money pulled out from under them, the bazaar hawkers would be forced to sell at a greatly reduced rate or face going under.