How do people incapable of such basic critical thinking function in life?

Sure - glad I could help you further enjoy your delusions.

That's the funniest thing I've read all day. Thanks.

You must not read this blog very often if you think that James is a Bush apologist. It's either that or you do read it a lot and you're just being disingenuous.

.... imposing timetables in war is not only militarily stupid but actually counterproductive to the mission.

Not true. And this idea that in a war you have an unlimited amount of time to achieve objectives is dangerous.

A reality based observer would note that you actually have only as much time to complete your objectives as your war resources last. After that you are out of time.

The single most important war resource in a democracy is the support of the population and its willingness to make sacrifice for the war effort.

In the war on Iraq the support was gained by the administration lying to the public about WMD and the danger of Iraq to America. Support, although based upon false pretense, lasted about a year or so. When the public slowly came to realize that it was lied to the support for the war on Iraq naturally evaporated. There was never a legitimate reason to fight it in the first place.

I've pointed out before and I'll say it again that this war was lost the day it was started. It was lost because the American people will never support a war based upon lies. The only people who did not know this were those conservatives who were willing to put their own narrow political agenda above the good of the country.

Now, I have no reason to doubt Odierno and Crocker are telling the truth.

I'm sure if somebody from the Bush administration asserted that we only need another six months for the Iraqis will be so stable that we could start construction on Disney Baghdad, you'd believe them too, or at least claim to here.

Is there anything the Bush administration can do that you won't excuse? How can you live with yourself?

How's this for a reason to doubt spokesmen of the Bush administration: being awake and conscious for the last four years of this war?

If the September milestones report gives reason to think staying another few months will do any good, another extension may be forthcoming.

Come on James, do you really expect it to say otherwise? I mean, reality may be otherwise, but do you really expect the report to say withdraw is the best option? No, it'll say that progress has been hampered by 6 months of insurgent activity, but in another 6 months we'll know if it's going to work out or not. Just like the last report said, and the report before that.

The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq said yesterday that he needs at least until November to accurately assess results of the current increase in troop strength and operations

Wow, who could have see than coming? I mean, I was sure that they really meant it this time.

Well, let's give them the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure come November Lucy will finally let Charlie Brown kick the football, we just have to trust her one more time...

Old school wars were so much easier. We killed their guys until they surrendered. Hmmph.