To paraphrase Mr Rumsfeld, "You go to war with the President you have, not the one you wish you had." Sad to say, but the contemporary crop of politicians had few people in it qualified to try and attempt what President Bush did in Iraq. (The only difference being that the rest of them likely realized immediately that they weren't up to the task.)
Remaking Iraq into a liberal democracy while keeping the American people on board may have been a bridge too far for any one of our current leaders. It was an audacious, visionary move, but having balls to try and having the skill to succeed don't always go hand in hand.