JUST MORE EVIDENCE OF BUSH INCOMPETENCE

An interesting perspective on the prosecution of the Iraq war from, of all people, Andrew Sullivan: Read it in its entirety. It's just another picture of Bush's total failure to understand the issues involved in his grand scheme for the Middle East.

In Barnes's book, Bush said during the Iraq occupation, "If Bremer's happy, I'm happy. If Bremer's nervous, I'm nervous". But if Bremer is to be believed, he was deeply unhappy and Bush either dismissed his concerns or had no idea that they existed.

In an earlier statement, Bush had spoken of his faith. It is ludicrous to think, as some Europeans do, that this President invaded Iraq on instructions from the Almighty. But Bush's kind of faith may help to explain the shambles of the occupation. He once wrote: "(My faith) frees me to enjoy life and not worry what comes next."

His mindset is focused on grand decisions followed by results. There is no toleration for mess, whining, criticism or second-guessing. The nitty gritty -- which can mean the difference between success and failure in wartime -- was not his concern. He delegated the whole thing to commanders completely intimidated by Rumsfeld and institutionally trained not to challenge their bosses. You want to know why we are where we are in Iraq? We're beginning to piece it together.

Now, I undertand from brief exposure to right-wing talk radio and other outlets that Bremer is contradicting his own written statements, but the record (and his own written record) speaks for itself.

Tags: Bush, Iraq war, Bremer