[Overpaid Slacker]

Well, guys, it's good to see the level of discourse and principled response to Jonah's points is as strong as ever. Yeah, it's kind of a rant, but I like Jonah's prose even when he's all worked up.

As far as cut-and-paste, don't throw goats if you live in a grass house, Tech. Why summarize/distill Jonah when he writes very well? Just to make it look like it was my idea? I don't see a lot of originality from slathering W haters who buy every bullshyt BUSH LIED!!!! story that comes down the pike, so I can't take that knock too hard. I'm also not sure how it's any less valid if it's from the "web" and from the website of a respected publication ... but you obviously couldn't muster any rebuttal and just had to say SOMEthing about the article.

I, personally, can't speak for what 535 people assumed, but I'm not possessed of clairvoyance. My primitive neocon brain says if they authorized declaration of war they did so knowing that it was a real possibility. That, or they're negligent in the discharge of their obligations as legislators.

I'm frankly not sure what "diverting" money from the war in Afghanistan means... whether you agree with W or not, he sees these efforts as part of a whole in the battle against terrorism and its Mother Church Islamofascism. If he believes that $700 million is better spent to achieve his goals somewhere else, then so be it. He could be right, he could be wrong, but I believe he did what he thought was best to achieve his goals, given the evidence he had at the time.

And, Tabby, you layabout bastard -- is it SO hard to read a coupla pages of text? Reader's Digest, are you out of your gourd, man? Really, what else have you got to do? Print it out and take it to the buffet with you.

JP