DISQUS

@vera, please don't threadjack.

@Delong, at least it's not "Wake Up Little Susie" or the Ricky Martin song about the World Cup, both of which the Bush 2000 campaign tortured us with.

God bless your son.

@elviselvisberg, I think, in hindsight, it was worse than discourteous, it was counterproductive to the point of writing a piece about the handbook. That's notwithstanding @ajm8127's reading, which I do appreciate. And @pajarito is giving good advice to his/her stepkids, although clearly I am a hypocrite here given my foul foul mouth.

@Soldiernolongeriniraq, Dave did not and does not believe that remark was off the record. I admitted to an error of judgment in including the remark in my piece, but I did not violate any ground rules, which I take to be sacred. I hope this clears that up.

I know!!!! It's almost like Goldfarb is, like, stupid or dishonest or something.

@ufred, as long as there's the option of punting on Kirkuk, expect a three-and-out strategy. And the option appears, contrary to my expectations, not to be disappearing. The fact of the referendum will be what determines violence in the city, not a U.S. presence.

zing!

Thanks, Annie, this is very valuable.

I know, I know. I can't compete with that!

Can we not have comments here accusing John McCain of selling out the country while he was a POW? That's disgusting. Stick to the issue please.

If I was trying to conceal something, why would I link to the SWJ post? You need to take a deep breath and think things through.

Mark, is it really necessary to invent a position for me and then say I'm inconsistent or hypocritical for holding this imaginary position? Really now. Also, are you aware how you've conceived my position as existing at its extreme? If I were to do that to you, would you consider that fair or sensible?

Mark, I know, we killed Harithi there with the Predator in '02, the USS Cole in '00, etc. But fair point: the post as written suggests that Yemen was becoming an AQ hotspot ex nihilo. The perils of writing quickly. Thanks for calling me on it.

Skulz, I've had it with you. I have Jewish friends who've served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course not all criticism of Israel is anti-semitic. But what you wrote? That IS anti-semitic. You know that it's not just American Jews who can hold dual citizenship, right?

This will be the last time I address you or pay attention to your emails or comments.

Ufred is the forces of chaos and anarchy. Everything we say he is, he is.

What are you talking about Skulz.

Dan, email me with your address and I'll mail you the DVDs. sackerman-at-washingtonindependent-dot-com.

That's a tremendously strained reading. The report cites documents written in the early 1990s, primarily, that show Saddam's intelligence services toe-touching for contacts with terrorist organizations. Not one of them was al-Qaeda. In one case, something called the Army of Mohammed in the Gulf, the Mukhabarat explored sending feelers to an al-Qaeda franchisee. Not once does the report cite what happened to those feelers -- that is, what they resulted in. Middle Eastern intelligence organizations contact terrorist groups all the time. It doesn't mean they sponsor them. And it certainly doesn't mean Saddam even "indirectly" supported al-Qaeda.

That it does. Jeff Goldberg Representing Universal Love Eternally's Slate piece went up as my piece was going through edits, and I didn't see it until late last night. I'm blogging it now. As I read it I thought of that Fugazi song, "Latest Disgrace."

I didn't see that, Regis. I'll reinspect & change the post as necessary. Thanks for the eagle eye.

Also, you can't lay Abu Ghraib on Gates, since it happened three years before he became SecDef.

Skulz, don't you think "smart" is a value-neutral adjective? Couldn't a person agree with your critique of Gates -- not saying I do, but still -- and still think the guy is intelligent?

Holly, the story I'd love to see from you if/when HRC loses is what happens to Penn's clientele. Did Shrum suffer after the Kerry loss?

AmiBlue, I didn't think of that, but yeah, I guess it is.