I just went and watched the latest GOP commercial, which is pretty devastating against the Donkeys who are currently trying to rewrite history about their own beliefs about Saddam. But I'm not sure it's totally fair. Has Hillary been backtracking on this, or Evan Bayh? If not, I'm not sure they should be lumped in with the others. And it's too bad they don't have a clip of Kennedy.

Not that I'm a Hillary fan--there's plenty of reason to oppose her and fear her ascendance to power, but I think she's been playing the war pretty smart all along (as would behoove her if she wants to win the presidency, though it may cause her grief in the primaries).

It is a good commercial from a production, accuracy, relevance, and other points. I'm of no opinion with respect to Republican or Democrat.

The commercial begs the question: Where were the CIA, NSA, and other intelligence watchdogs? Why did the cited Democratic august and learned leaders all believe what they heard? Where was the voice in the wilderness calling "Bullshit!"? Where was the Republican voice calling the same?

As the philosopher William Irvine stresses in his book _On Desire_, the rational part of beings mostly works to find reasons to support what the emotional part has decided to do. It must work the same for the body politic. It's now apparent to me that President Bush is only carrying out a policy that had been decided long before - and largely by his opponents.

As Gypsy's mama said, "How do you like them eggrolls?"

Hillary Clinton has played the war well, from a hawkish perspective, which suggests a fascinating scenario where a more hawkish Hillary ends up running against a less hawkish, more nuanced soft power approach advocated by Chuck Hagel in 2008.

I predict a whole heap of exploding heads, in both parties, were that to happen.

Bill, only a Democrat could fantasize that uberwhimp and McCain mini-me Chuck Hagel has a prayer of getting the Republican nomination.

Hagel -vs- Condi in the primaries with a whole heap of triangulation would provide awesome theater.

Go long on popcorn. ;-)