"Allow me to explain why I remain among the dwindling numbers of Americans -- about 37 percent,"
Difficult to read an article that begins by citing bogus polls.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/includes/postpoll_iraqwar_030606.htm
http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2916&mode=nested&order=1&thold=0
"The death toll of American troops and Iraqis killed by terrorist attacks keeps growing."
Then perhaps we ought to aggressively go after the terrorists and KILL them. US hostile action deaths is at 1824. Iraqi death count is around 35,000, most by terrorist attacks. Historically, these are low numbers for a war.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004615.htmlhttp://web1.whs.osd.mil/mmid/casualty/Death_Rates.pdf
"...an often invisible enemy that also attacks Iraqis struggling to restore order to their nation."
They are not OFTEN invisible...THEY ARE INVISIBLE. Otherwise we would just KILL THEM. They wear no uniform, they defend no country, they hide amongst civilians by terrorizing them and killing them.
"Antiwar types began calling the situation in Iraq a "quagmire" in the first month of the war."
Actually, that began 7 days after the war began. I can not find the quotes at the moment, but they were up on FR this week.
"For the record, I do not mean to be critical of war coverage from journalists in Iraq."
You can be critical of the greatest President the US has ever seen, but you can't or won't be critical of media hacks?
"They are doing the best they can,"
ROTFLMHO!!!
"and their reportage, no doubt, helped reshape military and political strategy for the better."
You honestly believe that hacks from the ENEMEDIA reshaped strategy? ROTFLOL!
"They may well have underestimated how many troops were needed in 2003."
They had the troops they needed.
"While I think state and local officials carry the blame for infrastructure failures -- a la Katrina -- Bush was flat-footed in responding to the disaster."
People need to study up on how our Republican form of government works. I am sick to death of hearing how the President screwed up Katrina. As long as the crooks known as Blank-o, Chocolate Nagin and that Landscrew broad are still in office, don't mention President Bush's name. Those incompetent fools should have been removed from office by Sept. 15th.
More deaths were cause by their incompetence in a few days than troops we lost in any given year of the war.
Other than that.....nice article.
Oh, and the title is mis-leading. You slam President Bush until the last few lines.
Bush was flat-footed in responding to the disaster." People need to study up on how our Republican form of government works.
Yes they do!
I am sick to death of hearing how the President screwed up Katrina.
So am I. As I understand the Constitution, it is not the Federal Government's Responsibility. The Federal Government didn't get involoved in disaster relief until the FDR/LBJ Nanny State was implemented.