Webb and Allen Debate on Meet the Press

Yesterday morning Jim Webb and George Allen debated on Meet the Press. The central issue between them was the war in Iraq and, more generally, the war on terrorism.

The most telling moment came when Tim Russert asked Allen if more U.S. troops should be sent. Allen completely dodged the question, saying only "we're going to need to do what it takes to succeed."

What, Senator Allen, would constitute "success" in Iraq? If the answer is "avoiding civil war and restoring order" then we clearly need more troops. If the answer is "preventing Iraq from becoming a haven for terrrorists," then we clearly need a new strategy.

This, of course, is where Republicans supporters of George Bush, of which there is no greater rubber stamp than George Allen, are at their most maddening. Having created conditions ripe for civil war by mismanaging the invasion and its aftermath, and having created a terrorism problem where there was none before, they offer no solution to their self-created problems because they know the solution would be so unpopular they'd be booted from office.

Instead, Allen claims that Webb--whose son is a marine fighting in Iraq RIGHT NOW, is in favor of "cut and run."

Most Democrats do not favor "cut and run." They do favor doing something different, including getting rid of the folks who got us in this mess.

While we're on the topic of Iraq, the Washington Post yesterday had a fabulous in-depth article on how the Bush administration insisted on political purity over competence in staffing the Iraq reconstruction program.

The article makes you want to gag: Bush's people made sure that only Bush's people were put in place, going so far as to ask some applicants whether they supported Roe v. Wade! The result, as with many other agency appointments in this screwy administration, was the appointment of unqualified people to taxpayer funded positions. Worse yet, those same people went on to bungle the reconstruction, just as Bush's friends at FEMA bungled Katrina.

If Democrats succeed in taking over at least the House in November, you can bet that more of this crap will come to light in subsequent hearings and investigations.