Administration, alone

Watching Richard Perle on C-SPAN this weekend talk about how high morale was in Iraq, how the media wasn't reporting on the positive news, it isn't difficult to see why those who lend him the smallest shred of credibility might grab on to that shred. His voice was so calm and soothing. So rational.

But madmen are often effective precisely because they actually believe their own fantasies.

Steve Gilliard has a first-hand account of a well-placed conservative soldier who paints a very different picture. The troops want out.

My brother-in-law [an active-duty Major, decorated Army Ranger, and West Point graduate with more than 15 years in and about to ship out to Afghanistan] thinks that Murtha is 100% right and that we should pull back in Iraq to forward operating bases in Kuwait, if not leave entirely. Even more interesting, my brother-in-law says that ALL of his officer friends in the 10th Mountain (a real front-line outfit) and around the military agree as well.

My brother-in-law is a gregarious, well-connected guy and literally has hundreds of well placed friends at the rank of Major and above. He says that ALL of his miltiary friends feel Iraq is a "mistake" and a "meatgrinder" that serves no purpose anymore if it ever did.

On debating withdrawal: "My brother-in-law laughed off as ludicrous the claim that troops are somehow undercut by people debating the usefulness of their mission and questioning whether to pull out of Iraq."

On Bush asking for no sacrifice: "He also is outraged that Bush has asked the country to do nothing and downplayed the war effort that Bush claims is somehow so important."

On our Iraq strategy: "From what he hears, there basically is no overall strategy, just a bunch of LTs, CPTs, and Majors making it up as they go." Read the whole thing and email to friends... (Steve Gilliard)

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