Former Pres. Bush left office confident in the belief, which he voiced incessantly, that history would vindicate his decision to go to war in Iraq. With this constant soporific refrain in his waning days and weeks, one would think he envisioned great monuments erected to honor his steely resolve – that future U.S. citizens would laud him as the visionary and architect of a free and democratic Muslim world, and future Iraqis would belatedly revere him as their liberator.

Well, it seems the president has already gotten his wish. Yesterday an Iraqi orphanage did indeed unveil a monument in honor of the former president – a bronze shoe. I suppose though it’s more accurate to say that the monument is in honor of Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who hurled the shoe, whose likeness has been cast in copper and fiberglass 8 feet long, at the former president. (<link>) (You just can’t make this stuff up.) The sculptor was assisted by children at the orphanage in creating monument to the shoe. The orphanage director Abdulqader al-Naseri stated, “Those orphans who helped the sculptor in building this monument were the victims of Bush's war. The shoe monument is a gift to the next generation to remember the heroic action by the journalist.”

Sadly, though, the monument was short-lived. It was removed after only one day at the request of the central Iraqi government, as the owner of the enshrined shoe still has charges pending. (<link>) So the president will have to wait a little longer, I suppose, for Iraq war monuments in his honor.