Bob's feelin' a little ill

Bob feels like he's being "gagged with a friggin' spoon" over this one from the AP:

Saddam Hussein's capture lifted a huge political weight from President Bush after months of rising casualties and growing doubts about his handling of Iraq. Around the world, it sent a thundering message of America's resolve to prevail in the war against terrorism.  article

As someone else wrote (sorry I don't recall who now) - watch for the media to connect Saddam with 9/11 again. There it is.

If that's what it takes to lift that huge political weight, then we are certainly a shallow bunch. The rising casualties and the inept handling of the situation in Iraq are all forgiven for the capture of one madman whose madness we once supported when it suited our purposes. God bless America. It may have been intended to send a thundering message around the world, but something tells me the receivers of the message won't all be making that interpretation as to its meaning.

The pictures told the stark story of the victor and the vanquished: A triumphant Bush proclaimed the end of a "dark and painful era" in Iraq, while a haggard-looking Saddam was being examined by a doctor who probed his mouth with a tongue depressor.

Saddam was thinking the same thing as Bob about then.

Remember those images. You'll be seeing them again in campaign commercials. Until somebody blows the cover on the stage show that this undoubtedly was.

For awhile (sic), at least, Saddam's capture should ease global criticism of the United States.

"It's clearly going to be helpful because it does deal with this growing impression of being somewhat ineffectual that had been developing over the last several months," said [Rick Barton, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies]. "It re-establishes that the United States is a capable player, capable of taking care of somebody like Saddam Hussein."

This is a gross misreading of how the world sees us. I think they see an arrogant bully intent on imperalism who refuses to be a member of the world and has one set of rules for them and one for us. Those are my readings. I don't think this is going to ease global criticism at all. And if people are expecting it to, they're going to be standing around crying, "What do they want from us? Why do they hate us?"

The issue was never that we couldn't "take care of somebody like Hussein". In fact, there was a lot of derision for waging an enormously one-sided war. Where has Mr. Barton been? Senior adviser for strategic and international studies. No wonder we're in so much trouble.

"The Democrats can't touch him at the moment," said Columbia University historian Henry Graff. "He said he was going to get him. He got him. What more do you want?"

Pull up a chair Henry.