Absolutely - Not Winning (Still)

When you wake up to the news that the president has just admitted for the first time that, "We’re not winning the war in Iraq", and that Miss USA is going into rehab, how can you not post a blog entry? As much as I want to adhere to Sai Baba’s guidance on good speech, I cannot resist the Siren’s song on matters of such import.

I’ll start with the news that puts waves on the Potomac that are big enough to surf. President Bush told the Washington Post on Tuesday that we’re not winning the war. I’m amazed. First, that he said it; second, that he said it to the Post. The fact that he said it is both good and bad.

It’s good because it’s true and has been true for some time. It’s good because it creates necessary alignment with his new secretary of defense, who, after having declared that we’re not winning the war in his congressional confirmation hearings, is now in Iraq on his first official mission in that position. Like Secretary Gates, the president went on to say that we’re not losing the war, either. I would never expect either of them to say otherwise on that end of the scoreboard, so I’ll let that one go.

Well, I won’t let it go entirely. If we’re not winning or losing, then I guess it’s a tie. Shouldn’t we be troubled by a tie? We have an armed force of 150,000 of the best-trained and best-equipped troops in the world in a country that’s about the size of California and more than a third smaller than Texas. Why aren’t we winning? The answer to that question could fill a book and eventually will fill several books – a deeply flawed strategy; improper tactics; misdirected political leadership; lack of alignment between civilian and military leaders; troops who have been trained and equipped to fight a different kind of war, the kind we fought and won for the first two months in Iraq; lack of international support; lack of dialog with other countries in the region; and, of course, an inept Iraqi government, weak Iraqi security forces and the fact that the whole thing has devolved into a sectarian civil war. “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”

Back to the news, the president’s admission is bad because it’s barely been more than a month since he declared with unflinching certainty that, “Absolutely, we’re winning the war (insert picture of the famous crooked grin)!” We’ve gone from absolutely winning to not winning in a handful of weeks and that begs a few serious questions.

Did the war change that dramatically in a month – no; wars of this nature are not given to precipitous change and this one is no exception. It’s about the same now as it was in early November.

Did the president change his mind that dramatically in a month – not likely; the nature of this president is not given to precipitous change and this change is no exception. In fact, I think we’d have cause for concern if the president changed his mind that fast and that dramatically on what is without question the single most important matter being undertaken by his administration.

Did the president believe that we were not winning the war a month ago when he staunchly and repeatedly declared that we were absolutely winning the war – in all likelihood, yes; and that should be a problem for almost everyone. The president couldn’t bring himself to be truthful with the American people for one reason – an election was afoot in the land of the free – an election that was a national plebiscite on his administration and the status of the war that he single-handedly launched. Ergo, tell the voters whatever is needed to make them think that the home of brave is kicking butt in Baghdad, baby!

I’m not naïve; I understand how the game of politics is played; I understand the parsing of words and the turning of clever phrases; I understand that misdirection can be used in a campaign as successfully as in an NFL backfield; I understand the use of nuance, inflection, and the always-popular subtle distinction; and I understand that political pronouncements of so-called “facts” can fall all along the grey scale. I also understand that matters of national security often can’t be played out in the public arena, but matters of national security should cause leadership to keep quiet not to tell us bedtime stories.

I do not understand, and thus do not accept, how blue can be called red; how midnight can be called noon; how a hurricane can be called sunshine; and how not winning can be called absolutely winning. Maybe it’s the reference to “absolutely” that really gets under my skin, as if he was trying to intimidate the uncertain among us through hyperbole, as if to say, “Hell, idiots, we’re not just winning this thing, we’re so far ahead that this win is absolute! You people have got to open your eyes and see wha’sup!”

Well, guess what? On November 7 that’s exactly what we did and dozens of the president’s closest friends are now putting their personal effects in the back end of a Bekins van and headed back to their “home district” to stay. What we’re unsure of at this point is whether the wake up call was heard in either the West Wing or the East Wing of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

So, we’re not winning. Okay, what next? The president says that the election was not a mandate to leave Iraq but a mandate to significantly change what we’re doing in Iraq. That might be a distinction without a difference, but I’ll roll with that one for a while. Everyone knows that if we just pack our duffle bags and come home then we will leave behind a human disaster of epic proportions. Some day we may have no choice but to do just that, to our everlasting shame. But if there is any other reasonable alternative, then I’m just one of millions of Americans who are willing to listen.

So, let’s start talking about the reasonable alternatives – now. Maybe, for example, we can give just one or two hours of further consideration to the 79 recommendations offered by the Iraq Study Group. But, whatever we do, let’s not try any more of that Slick Willie misdirection, subtle distinction, lying stuff. Let’s make a national commitment to Stephen Colbert’s trademark concept – truthiness.

As for Miss USA, I’ll deal with you next – in far fewer words.