Does the Left not remember the caterwauling that went up from sea to shining sea in response the Bush phrase “Axis of Evil” in the 2002 State of the Union address? If it is remembered, what is the big deal about the Downing Street Memo?
Oh, and by the way, which one is a “sin:” to have a plan or to not have a plan? Perhaps only last-minute plans are legitimate, even though—or perhaps, in the case of leftist observers, because—they are more prone to failure.
How long will this war go on? (I’m not talking about the ones in the Middle East.)
(Thanks to James Joyner)
UPDATE: All of you who claim to be so much smarter than I am: be so kind as to provide links for your assertions (as I did). Who knows? If it turns out that you've proven me wrong, Ill retract my statements here. Otherwise I'll take your assertions as the flailings of those afflicted with Bush Derangement Syndrome.
UPDATE:
At last, a cry for help.
I would like to respond to this post, but it doesn't make any sense. It seems like a list of snarky non-sequiturs.Snarky, yes; pleased to meet you. (It's not like it just kicked in this morning.)
Allow me to assist you in your confusion.
In the first paragraph, a reference is made to the "Axis of Evil" speech of 2002. There's even a link to the speech. Since so few apparently recall it, GWB referred to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the Axis of Evil. Though many in the comments of the post in question claim few were up in “arms” about the appellation, those "few" included a certain former secretary of state ; many others were aghast that the president would be so gauche as to refer to sovereign nations as “evil.”
Be that as it may, what the phrase told me was that the president was calling the three governments out: “get it together or we’ll do it for you.” Bald-headed South Central LA chicks with associate degrees in liberal arts could figure out back then (January 2002) that our military would be in at least one of those countries soon. That’s why it’s idiotic to get one’s knickers in a twist over the “pre-planning” that this memo demonstrates.
As for the “lack of planning” for the present phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, can any of you name one expert, commentator or even an ordinary Jane/Joe who predicted the insurgency before it kicked in? (If it’s the latter, the government ought to put her on the payroll.)
Therefore, John, the administration is catching criticism for planning “too soon” and for not planning “at all.”
Others: as for the “Bush lied” nonsense, save it for those who weren’t paying attention during the execution of Operation Desert Fox.
Always a pleasure to get linked by the Daou Report. :-)
