What Gall

Best of the web today links to a column in the Boston globe that shocked me by the sheer audacity of it’s assertion. The title says it all Thank Clinton for a speedy victory in Iraq.

I am not prepared to rebut this entire piece on a point-by-point basis (much as I would like) but a couple of statements call out to me.

The first paragraph states

While it is understandable that President George W. Bush and his secretary of defense are receiving plaudits for the relatively swift military victory in Iraq, the fact of the matter is that most of the credit for the successful military operation should go to the Clinton administration.

I am willing to be magnanimous in victory and grant that a smidgeon of credit should go to the Clinton administration – after all they did not entirely dismantle all branches of the military and turn the Pentagon into condominiums. But MOST?!?!?! Not by a long shot.

The column ends with this

So if this latest military effort warrants a victory parade for the troops, let's insist that Clinton and his secretaries of defense are invited. They deserve it. And if the Bush administration wants to learn how to rebuild the nation of Iraq, they might ask their predecessors how to go about it.

Perhaps Bush should invite Clinton and his secretaries of defense to a victory parade. Not because they deserve it for their actions while in office but because rather to respect the offices that they once held. As an added bonus it will show the Clinton era what great men and women make up our military along with what wonderful things can be accomplished if we stand up against tyranny.

As to whether the Bush administration should ask Clinton representatives anything about rebuilding the nation of Iraq – I hope that the Clinton camp will not hold their breath. What successful experiences could they point to? Somalia? Haiti? Thanks, but no thanks I think that the Bush administration can come up with a better plan than Clinton ever did it would be difficult to do worse.