What is a quagmire?

Our astute (ha ha) Secretary of Defense claimed today that Iraq has not become a quagmire. He also claimed that things are going well. The generals sitting at the same table with him seemed to agree (like, what else could they do under the circumstances)? Quagmire, according to the definition in my dictionary, refers to a bog, or an awkward situation. I guess Rummy thinks Iraq is not an awkward situation as everything seems, according to him, to be under control. When asked by Kennedy why he should not resign Rummy said he has offered to resign twice but Bush would not accept his resignation. I guess it hasn't occurred to him that he could have just resigned rather than merely offered. He could hardly expect Bush to accept his offer as Bush only does as he is told and of course Cheney would not allow anything that might look like an admission of failure. In this case abject failure.

Durbin had nothing whatsoever to apologize for. He did not compare the Bush/Cheney administrtion to nazis. He said, quite plainly, and quite simply, if you read this report (from the FBI), and if you didn't know where it came from, you might well think it had come from nazis or Stalinists, or whatever - which I believe is absolutely true. I simply do not understand why Democrats are so damned quick to back down on everything and anything. When they say something true they should stick with their position, not just capitulate. This is one quality that I believe you have to admire in Dean. He doesn't just back down, and he speaks the truth. The Republican party is demonstrably an overwhelmingly white party. That is the truth. It is also most probably true that most of the Republican politicians never did an honest day's work in their lives. Unfortunately that is probably true of most Democrats in office also. For the most part those who attain such offices were clearly priviledged to begin with. And unless you believe that politicking is an honest day's work they probably all lack credibility.

Rove seems to have stuck his foot in his mouth so now it is his turn to either apologize or what? His comment that Republicans saw 9/11 and prepared for war whereas Democrats just wanted therapy for the terrorists was so far off-base it might not even be possible for him to adequately apologize. Trying to deal with McClelland's defense makes one wonder if there is any sanity left at all in the world. There certainly is none in McClelland's head.

Just when is enough, enough?