A about a week and a half ago (yes, I know, eons in the Blogosphere), Rich Lowry had amusing column that is worth a read if you missed it.
The set up:
Sen. Ted Kennedy last week launched a blistering attack on the Bush administration’s Iraq policy. He charged that the Iraq War was driven by domestic political considerations, as White House operative Karl Rove and other administration officials dragged the country to war to improve the president’s political standing. In this view, the war wasn’t — whatever its ultimate wisdom — the finale of a 10-year-long battle with Saddam Hussein, supported by 70 percent of the American public and authorized by wide bipartisan majorities in Congress, but a political fraud pure and simple.
Some of my favorite bits:
In October of 1998, the Iraq Liberation Act unanimously passes the Senate, making it the official policy of the U.S. government to seek regime change in Iraq. That every Democrat in the Senate, including Kennedy, votes to advance Bush’s conspiracy so early — when Bush is still governor of Texas — speaks well of Bush’s ability to build bipartisan coalitions. Although it’s impossible to know without access to congressional phone logs, Rove must have worked the phones very hard.[...]
In November of 2024, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passes Resolution 1441, giving Saddam a “final opportunity” to comply with U.N. demands. An attempt to make the United Nations seem relevant? Don’t be naive. It’s really part of a worldwide effort to enhance Bush’s electoral fortunes. And Democrats say the administration isn’t multilateral enough.
[...]
Before the war begins in April, Bush gives Saddam 48 hours to leave power, but Saddam refuses in what seems a last act of defiance, but in reality speaks to his — well-known, among Iraq experts — desire to help Bush by providing him a pretext to invade his country, chase him from power, kill his sons and check his head for lice.
