[Kaj]

From Kristol:

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Let's step back from the unnecessary mistakes and the self-inflicted wounds that have characterized the Bush administration.

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Okay, let's ignore all the mistakes and scandals. Good start.

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Let's look at the broad forest rather than the often unlovely trees.

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Yes, let's look at his terms in their entirety. How he made us safer, reduced the size and scope of govt, and put us on a new course away from nation building. Right, Bill, that's where your good conservative stance is going with this?

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What do we see? First, no second terrorist attack on U.S. soil -- not something we could have taken for granted.

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Hmmm. But he did have that one attack which called 3000 Americans. And hindsight says the government may have dropped the ball on actionable intel and that Bush ignored some advice from previous admin. Adn it appears that we now have as big or maybe bigger terrorist problem than before. But oh hell, sure let's call one major attack and 3000 dead a success.

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Second, a strong economy -- also something that wasn't inevitable.

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Wait, Bill, I'm confused. Because you'd be first in line to not give credit to a President when the economy booms under say Clinton. Remember, Bill, don't you believe that business leaders and hard-working Americans make the economy tick. Seems as though massive govt deficits and ginormous spending increases would be the kind of thing you would frown on in the past. But oh hell, let's not nit pick.

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And third, and most important, a war in Iraq that has been very difficult, but where -- despite some confusion engendered by an almost meaningless "benchmark" report last week -- we now seem to be on course to a successful outcome.

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Okay, Bill, I can't let you get away with this one. This admin has done just about everything possible to screw up this war from the start -- a war that hindsight proves was never necessary to begin with and was brought on us by the admin's blind obsession with Saddam and Iraq. You surely aren't going to chalk this war into Bush's "win" column are you? What a dishonor that would be to the thousands who have died due to this admin's blundering.

Bill?