SIVACRACY.NET

Of course, I think Bush lost the war long ago when he lost most of this country's potential allies and all of his credibility as a champion of truth and justice. Bush created the conditions for rebellion, humiliation, misery, and civil war by being untruthful, manipulative, and stubborn. Many people in his administration warned him to send enough troops to secure the peace, prepare for an uprising, protect the electricity and water systems, and ignore the corrupt platitudes of Chalabi. Those who told him the truth were fired and ignored. Those who worked with him to fail so spectacularly have been retained or promoted (or honored, like the former CIA chief who screwed up so badly on all fronts). The smartest people in his administration, of course, told him the real enemy was lauging at us from the hills of Pakistan while Bush was obsessing over an unarmed, harmless petty dictator whose country had been contained for more than a decade. They told him the war on terror would be harmed by his folly in Iraq. And they were right.

The incompetence of this administration is breathtaking. American soldiers are paying the price for it every day (while eating spoiled food thanks to the Vice President's company). Shameful. Shameful.

Chuck Hagel seems to be the only Republican left who is armed with a brain, a heart, and courage. Here is what he said to veterans in his home state:

Hagel sounds alarm over Iraq

BY JAKE THOMPSON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - More than 200 Nebraska American Legion members, who have seen war and conflict themselves, fell quiet here Saturday as Sen. Chuck Hagel bluntly explained why he believes that the United States is losing the war in Iraq.

Sen. Chuck Hagel addresses more than 200 Nebraska American Legion members in Grand Island on Saturday.

It took 20 minutes, but it boiled down to this:

The Bush team sent in too few troops to fight the war leading to today's chaos and rising deaths of Americans and Iraqis. Terrorists are "pouring in" to Iraq.

Basic living standards are worse than a year ago in Iraq. Civil war is perilously close to erupting there. Allies aren't helping much. The American public is losing its trust in President Bush's handling of the conflict.

And Hagel's deep fear is that it will all plunge into another Vietnam debacle, prompting Congress to force another abrupt pullout as it did in 1975.

"What we don't want to happen is for this to end up another Vietnam," Hagel told the legionnaires, "because the consequences would be catastrophic."

It would be far worse than Vietnam, says Hagel, a twice-wounded veteran of that conflict, which killed 58,000 Americans.

Let's see who makes a better case: the President who has lied about everything from the start and never served his country or a decorated veteran who can't help but tell the truth.

Tune in tonight and find out!