It's all good

Wolf Blitzer: nattering nabob of negativity.

Cheney said the administration would disregard the nonbinding resolution opposing the troop increase and suggested it undermines soldiers in a war zone. "It won't stop us," he said. "And it would be, I think, detrimental from the standpoint of the troops."

Cheney has been criticized in the past for presenting what some called an overly rosy view of the situation in Iraq, most notably in 2005 when he said the insurgency was in its "last throes." The view he expressed yesterday seemed no less positive, and he sparred repeatedly with "Situation Room" host Wolf Blitzer, telling him "you're wrong" and suggesting he was embracing defeat.

When Blitzer asked whether the administration's credibility had been hurt by "the blunders and the failures" in Iraq, Cheney interjected: "Wolf, Wolf, I simply don't accept the premise of your question. I just think it's hogwash."

In fact, Cheney said, the operation in Iraq has achieved its original mission. "What we did in Iraq in taking down Saddam Hussein was exactly the right thing to do," he said. "The world is much safer today because of it. There have been three national elections in Iraq. There's a democracy established there, a constitution, a new democratically elected government. Saddam has been brought to justice and executed. His sons are dead. His government is gone."

"If he were still there today," Cheney added, "we'd have a terrible situation."

"But there is," Blitzer said.

"No, there is not," Cheney retorted. "There is not. There's problems -- ongoing problems -- but we have in fact accomplished our objectives of getting rid of the old regime, and there is a new regime in place that's been here for less than a year, far too soon for you guys to write them off." He added: "Bottom line is that we've had enormous successes and we will continue to have enormous successes."

Cheney said Blitzer was advocating retreat. "What you're recommending, or at least what you seem to believe the right course is, is to bail out," the vice president said.

"I'm just asking," Blitzer objected.

"No, you're not asking."

Dick makes Liz look like a defeatist.

No, not "a terrible situation" at all.

No, not at all.

Capt. Brian S. Freeman, a former member of the Army World Class Athlete Program who competed in bobsled and skeleton with the United States national team, was killed last week in Iraq, officials said. Freeman, 31, was among five Americans killed Saturday after an ambush by gunmen dressed as United States troops near Karbala, defense officials said.

Freeman was 16th in the 2003 national skeleton championships. He won a bronze medal as a four-man sled brakeman at a 2002 America’s Cup race, teaming with the two-time Olympian Mike Kohn. Members of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton teams learned of Freeman’s death this week while preparing for the world championships, which begin today in St. Moritz, Switzerland. “He was one of the greatest men I have ever known,” said Steven Holcomb, the World Cup overall bobsled leader and a 2006 Olympian. Holcomb was in the world class program with Freeman.