The NIE report may well be a hack job, but in the court of public debate it trumps anything Bush now says about Iran. The point of the article is just how utterly inept and tone deaf this administration is and always has been.
I see this same conversation - or one much like it - Occurring in a few years when we have allowed another non conservative (say Huckabee) to be maneuvered into the Republican nomination and the presidency, only to "discover" later that 1) Amnesty for illegals is his first priority, 2) The borders will be propped open even wider than they are now, 3) The Liberal agendas on education, welfare, health care, et al are all being pushed right from the White House itself.
well...funny you mention that about public debate trumping anything...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936593/posts
Seems only 18% are buying into it.
DARN! Bush out-flanked his detractors once again!
That stupid Harvard AND Yale educated hill-billy! LOL