Bush and Brooks -- in denial

I really can't add anything to Josh Marshall's take down of David Brooks ridiculous column in today's Times, in which the idiot argues that now we know that Kerry's wants to retreat from Iraq. Kerry said no such thing in his speech at NYU yesterday. Not even remotely.

It's weird, though. On the one hand you have George Bush responding to the speech that, "Heck, he's saying we should do what we're already doing; ain't I goin' to the UN this week?" On the other, you have conservative commentators like the Times' designated fool who are saying that if Kerry's elected, we'll be out of Iraq faster than you can say "Mogadishu."

But back to Marshall:

The Brooks line, which is the Bush line, is that "the U.S. should stay as long as it takes to rebuild Iraq." But this platitude is simply a way of ducking discussion about whether the president's policies are working and whether things are getting better or worse.

Brooks, like Bush, is like a man in the sea, a fifty pound lead weight chained to his feet, slowly sinking into the waves. It's a tough road, he says as the water laps around his neck, but I'm going to keep at it as long as it takes until I start floating up instead of sinking down.

As long as it takes.

I'm staying the course.

Bubble, gurgle, bubble ...

Denial ... and did I mention the weight is chained to your feet too?

Yeah, and it sure is getting wet in here.