[PornoDoggy]

I was right ... I have seen that speech before.

The background was classic Johnson after about 1966 - when he became afraid to leave the White House and 75% or more of his speeches were in front of military audiences.

The speech itself, though ... it couldn't have been more Nixon if it had included a reference to a fucking cloth coat and a little dog too. "We're turning over the war to the Iraqanese, we've integrated Americans into some of their units, their troops are fighting well along side ours, and there is light at the end of the tunnel."

"As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down" is a very clever phrase - but really, in this sound-byte era, it's too long. I'd suggest something shorter - perhaps "Iraqiazation."

As usual, Rev. Bush invoked the "immorality" of the insurgents and terrorists (while not distinguishing between them), as well as invoking the immorality of the Saddam regime. All of that is true - the insurgents, the terrorists, and the Saddamites have done and continue to do unspeakable things.

That's a dangerous card for him to play, however. Just exactly how moral is it to deliberately expose the Iraqi people to the current conflict? Depending on who you listen to, some sections of the Iraqi infrastructure (medicine, power generation, etc) are almost back to pre-war levels. Yes, Saddam's secret police struck fear into the Iraqis before we invaded, but multiple car bombs didn't go off on a daily basis in multiple places all across Iraq. You need to be careful playing the morality card when you are tap-dancing through the minefield of invoking 9/11 without admitting that the only reason al Quaida and the terrorists are operating in Iraq is because we let them in.

Deja-fucking-vu all over again. The quickest way to end this war is to reinstate a fair and equitable (i.e., no deferments, no jumping to the Guard and Reserves for fortunate ones and senator's sons) draft - because his base would crumble after that. Somewhere around here I still have my "Pigasus for President" button ...