2 or 3 weeks ago I listened to an interview on NPR of a soldier who had been deployed in Iraq. He talked about the last "surge", the one that was intended to take back control of Baghdad after the death squads had begun their own surge. He talked about how he and all of the other US troops patrolled the streets of Baghdad day after day and how those troops had standing orders to return to base every day before nightfall. The outrage in his voice was palpable as he went on to explain that the death squads merely waited until our troops had left for the day before beginning their raids, abductions and murders.

Though we're probably all convinced that Bush is replacing Abizaid and Casey because they oppose Bush's insistence on another "surge", Bush's justification will no doubt be that our success in Iraq just isn't coming fast enough under their leadership. Given that soldier's story and all of the other stories of unbelievable military incompetence that have been exposed during our 4-year occupation of Iraq, either these generals and their predecessors and all of the people reporting to them truly are as dumb as a rock or maybe we have an unwritten policy that says let the slaughter continue until there's only one group left standing and Abizaid and Casey are just two more sacificial lambs in the furtherance of that policy. Either way, how could bringing all of our troops back home be much worse for Iraq than what they have now?

"That's the problem here in America," the president said. "They wonder whether or not there is a gratitude level that's significant enough in Iraq."

Excuse me, Mr. President, but I suspect most Americans haven't spent a minute wondering if the Iraqis are sufficiently grateful. In fact, if I were to be magically transported to Iraq (I certainly wouldn't go there voluntarily), I'd be apologizing on your behalf for what we've done to them and to their country. (And if you weren't such an ass, you'd be apologizing too!)

"...When George W. Bush attacks something like the State of the Union address, it's with an eye toward action."

Snow actually says that like he thinks we're stupid enough to believe George W. Bush writes even one word of his State of the Union address.

And don't you have to wonder about the mental health of an exuberant president whose approval ratings are now lower than Nixon's. Maybe if all of the attendees stay in their seats and sit on their hands tonight, Bush's exuberance might turn to the kind of dread most of us have when we think about two more years of his stupdendous incompetence. (Of course it's more likely that we'll be treated to the spectacle of McCain and Lieberman jumping up and sitting down like a pair of flabby pogo sticks with heads.)

"Bottom line is that we've had enormous successes, and we will continue to have enormous successes."

Obviously the bottom line that Mr. Crabby Pants was referring to is Halliburton's bottom line.

I bet I'm not the only one wondering if "constant pressure" from Dick Cheney included the threat of a shotgun blast to the face. Absent that, I'm afraid we're going to have to conclude that Sen. Roberts was nothing more than a willing participant in a cover-up designed to prevent the American people from finding out that we went to war based on a pack of lies. What a shock. (Equally shocking would be the people of Kansas deciding not to re-elect this assclown to a 3rd term in 2008.)

Here's hoping all of the regular War Room visitors will take this opportunity to give Tim a well-deserved pat on the back for his consistent excellence day in and day out. (If HuffPo is also a favorite of yours, they're also a finalist in the "Best Group Weblog" category ... vote for 'em there.)

And if you don't win, Tim, please cling to the immortal words of thousands of Hollywood stars past and present ... "It's an honor just to be nominated" :-)

To "Faithful War Room Reader" and Others:

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