Heads up: it looks as though Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki just got put on the lunch menu.

As you know, Bush has tried his best to project a unified front with al-Maliki. He has looked more than once into the Iraqi leader’s soul, in that uncanny way the President has of rooting out incompetence and unworthiness, and soul tarnish.

And Bush has declared again and again that al-Maliki is up to the task. Especially once the Surge was announced. Then more than ever.

Until, of course, now.

USA Today has long been the venue of choice for White House propagandists, and today’s front page article makes it clear that the knives are out for our friend Nouri:

A broad range of prominent Iraqi lawmakers say they have lost confidence in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ability to reconcile the country’s warring factions. A leading Kurdish lawmaker said al-Maliki should resign.

Legislators from several parties told USA TODAY that al-Maliki lacks the support in parliament to push through laws, such as a plan to distribute oil revenues, that could reduce tensions between Sunnis and Shiites. Iraq’s parliament has failed to pass major legislation since a U.S.-led security plan began on Feb. 14.

To translate: al-Maliki has outlived his usefulness, and US authorities have asked their Kurdish friends to commence the drumbeat.

Alas, poor Nouri. VDB knew him well.