The part that seems right to me is that Democrats have to talk more thoroughly and candidly about what is happening and what needs to happen in Iraq. Wasn't it Bismarck who said the statesman is one who grabs the coattails of the horseman of history as he gallops by? Friends, he's galloping by just now.

Just as Tom is not wrong about the challenge of Asian entrepreneurship, he's not wrong that the situation in Iraq is untenable. He's not right about the causes, in my view, and his notion that the size of the American military occupation in number of troops should be vastly expanded is also a non-starter. First, the Defense Department won't support that. Second, we don't need any other reasons, although plenty exist. Therefore, the conclusion is inescapable -- a totally different plan needs to be put in place. The Administration's view is that things will take a turn for the better. This just hasn't been seriously debated by think tanks or Democrats in office. I'm not criticizing Dems, but urging them to speak up. Anyone should be afraid of the media machine that exists for the purpose of condemning wetness among Dems, but most Americans already agree that the status quo is untenable. Leadership is lying around in the streets of Washington waiting to be picked up. The coattails are there to grab.