Concerning competence

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/08/24/Columns/Concerning_competence.shtml

TALLAHASSEE - No media voice has been more sympathetic to America's adventure in Iraq than the internationally respected British journal, the Economist. So it had to come as a most unkind cut for President Bush last week when the magazine's lead editorial pronounced this cautionary judgment: "An incompetent imperialist is bad for everybody."

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The jury is still out as to their integrity. But if their assumptions were honest, then their judgment, which is to say their competence, was hideous.

To be simply wrong about the weapons would be in itself a major blunder. The only other even remotely plausible justification for a war at that time and place was to exchange a tyrant's regime for the Middle East's first functional Arab democracy. So far, however, all that we have to show for it is a dysfunctional state of anarchy, a petri dish for terrorism. Nearly every assumption was incorrect.

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Those who led us in are not necessarily unsuited to lead us out, but it would require a leap of faith for voters to assume that they have magically acquired the essential judgment and competence. Bearing in mind the adage that wise people change their minds often, but fools never, it would be enormously reassuring to hear from George Bush - or, for that matter, from Sens. Lieberman, Gephardt, Kerry and Edwards - the cleansing words, "I was wrong."

Incredibly satisfying read...

A very good read with some astute political observations, including:

"If the Democrats are smart, they will set aside the issue of whether the administration lied its way into the war, and focus relentlessly on its apparent incompetence. Iraq is already one mistake too many; can those who made it be trusted not to make another?"

IMO this comes pretty close to hitting the nail on the head. The Bushies screwed up and shouldn't be left in charge of the store. The Dems need a plan for cleaning up their mess.

It's the INCOMPETENCE stupid! That should be the Dems focus. Incompetence in EVERYTHING. There's not a single area in which this admin. hasn't failed spectacularly.