I agree with his basic analysis that the 9/11 attacks moved Bush's foreign policy philosophy in a better direction, but his execution was poor. In my estimation, Bush has been correct in believing that there is, as Kamm notes, a fundamental link between terrorist organizations and the regimes which harbor and aid them, as Hussein's indisputably did. Kamm adds, and I agree, that he was correct to understand that the Islamist radicals do not hate us because of our role in the region, but because our society's liberties, our tolerance of different moral systems, identifies us with Satan in a very real way. (It's not mere hyperbole, as when a tenured university professor calls Bush "Satan" while watching Keith Olbermann and sipping cognac. But I needlessly imperil myself.) His philosophies rightly led to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but poor execution and mismanagement led to problems in both places--however, in fits and starts, both states are making progress under a renewed and rethought American offensive.
The Democrats, meanwhile, have taken almost every angle possible on the war in order to gain political points. They have abused the president abroad--a big no-no---demanded a draft, visited Islamic autocrats for a pleasant chat, tried to retreat because the Iraq War is immoral, tried to retreat because we should only do what's strictly in our best interests, tried to retreat on a timetable regardless of position on the ground, tried to ignore any progress and play up the defeats, and tried feebly to get the president to maybe say he might possibly at some time potentially withdraw our troops from Iraq once they captured Congress because they knew that actual retreat would be political suicide, as opposed to talking about retreat. (Whew!) Ascendant in the polls though they are, it does not vindicate them from their shameless politicking of America's national security. Despite the good intentions of the pacifist and the anti-war protester on the street, the behavior of Democrat congressmen has been an absolute disgrace. The crowning glory was Harry Reid declaring the surge "lost" before it had begun.
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