‘Reestablish security, rebuild the state institutions’: The bad news: The Iraq pessimists have good reasons for pessimism. The good news: Iraqis have sound ideas on the minimum we should have done and still could do to leave Iraq with our ‘heads held high.’ ... The occupation has been badly botched, starting with failure to secure the nation. But the lingering goodwill of Iraqis is amazing. Start from scratch, I say. Pretend the past 18 months didn’t exist. There’s still a decent chance of success. ...

Nasty, nasty, nasty person, Abu Musab Zarqawi. ... Ten, nine, eight, seven. ... That’s yet another countdown until the Bushies pronounce that the article proves the existence of the secret Iraq-Osama terrorist link! Not quite. Read the article. Think. ...



Bush volunteered to go to Vietnam!: Amusing sideshow as GuardGate/SwiftieGate mercifully (or hopefully) winds down: Bush actually volunteered to go to Vietnam! Really! ... Um, er, well, he didn’t go to Vietnam -- but Kerry volunteered and managed to get to Vietnam and one would think if George really wanted to go to Vietnam ... Thirty-five-year-old charge stands: Draft dodger during highly unpopular war. Simple. Obvious. And irrelevant. Move on. ...  ¶ 6:51 AM