Why would we expect more from the Iraq Study Group?

There were no true progressives on the 10-person board. Instead, it was a mix of conservative Republicans (albeit realist conservatives, not neoconservatives) and centrist Democrats.

The conservative Republicans may have hesitated to call for anything bolder for fear of undercutting Bush even more than the actual report did. Meanwhile, the centrist Democrats, if not exactly “hawkish” on Iraq, certainly weren’t doves from the get-go.