More on a tale...

Another story today from the BBC, by Oliver Conway, is ostensibly about how critics and supporters of the war in Iraq have been "trading blows". Note how the only "supporters" quoted or mentioned are administration officials themselves, while, in addition to making big play again out of John Murtha's comments, Conway even uncovers a Republican, Chuck Hagel, who is said to have "questioned" the administration's approach. Thus does Conway portray the administration as increasingly isolated, even from its own party.

Conway also says that "...patriotism, and accusations that opponents of the war are letting down the troops have been the subject of fierce political debate in Washington," and goes on to imply that VP Cheney is making such accusations. Conway is, at least, partly correct. As VP, Cheney presides over the Senate, and in that Senate was heard these words just the other day.

The danger is that by spending so much attention on the past here, we contribute to a drop in public support among the American people for the war, and that is consequential. Terrorists know they cannot defeat us in Iraq, but they also know they can defeat us in America by breaking the will and steadfast support of the American people for this cause.

There is a wonderful phrase from the Bible that I have quoted before, “If the sound of the trumpet be uncertain, who will follow into battle?” In our time, I am afraid that the trumpet has been replaced by public opinion polls, and if the public opinion polls are uncertain, if support for the war seems to be dropping, who will follow into battle and when will our brave and brilliant men and women in uniform in Iraq begin to wonder whether they have the support of the American people? When will that begin to affect their morale?

The thing is, it wasn't Cheney who said them. It was Democratic supporter of the effort in Iraq, Joe Lieberman. Funny that Conway found time to mention Chuck Hagel, but Lieberman and his views remain hidden from the BBC's audience.