Last week, Harry Reid was widely criticized for saying that the Iraq war "is lost." On
Power Line, I explained why I thought Reid's comment was both incorrect and politically misguided. Today, Reid
backed off his claim, and, almost as though he were taking my advice, couched his criticisms in terms of a "failed policy" rather than a "lost war:"
The Senate majority leader drew criticism from Bush and others last week when he said the war in Iraq had been lost. He did not repeat the assertion in his prepared speech, saying that "The military mission has long since been accomplished. The failure has been political. It has been policy. It has been presidential."
There is an irony here; Reid is echoing the "mission accomplished" banner for which President Bush has long been abused. But news accounts haven't focused on this point, instead, they have emphasized Reid's claim that the President is in "denial" on Iraq:
Reid noted disapprovingly that in a speech last week, Bush repeatedly said there were signs of progress in Iraq in the wake of a troop increase he ordered last winter. "The White House transcript says the president made those remarks in the state of Michigan. I believe he made them in the state of denial," said Reid.
In fact, though, there are signs of progress in Iraq, both as
measured statistically and as reported by many observers. It is Reid, not Bush, who doesn't want to address the evidence, but rather seeks to achieve his objective by bullying. There is an interesting parallel here to the Democrats' tactic on global warming. There, too, they refuse to engage the evidence offered by skeptics, and instead insist that the debate is over and anyone who disagrees with them is "in denial." This is, in general, not an approach that is followed by people who have strong arguments and evidence on their side. So it shouldn't be surprising that many people conclude that what Reid fears in Iraq is not failure but success, as suggested eloquently by
Chip Bok:
Reader Comments ( Page 16 of 16)
226. read the reader comment number 224, then forward to all media and liberals,,,though it is a must read for all, while disagreement on performance issues is healthy, these comments cut to the bone on reality in America,,,
jim at 11:02AM on Apr 29th 2007
227. Most of you people are just down right stupid! double stupid! Don't you know that the info on "weapons of mass destruction" was passed to President Bush from so called reliable intelligent people in our Goverment? You can't blame everything on the president when the President acts on what is suppose to be solid evidence on "whatever" so, what did you thing on 9//???? so you're saying we shouldn't fight back? we should just let them idiots just keep bombing America? Bush is not a Clinton thank God, Clinton didn't fight back agains anything. He was all personality but "sex" was his main issue. I'm proud of our president. And I can tell you that no matter who the President is, he was not put there by the people, but by God. You people should read the BIBLE and read the last book called revelation. We are experencing the "end times" what is happening how was pre-told in the Bible. No matter who does what or who's in office, it will continue to worsen, until the Rapture. If you aren't lifted up in the Rapture Lord help you, cause "aragedon" war will have people wishing for death that won't come. Get real and deal with the real issue 'THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT! NOT the goverment.
sandy lewis at 5:51PM on May 1st 2007