Beyond The War Spin

E.J. Dionne has become one of my favorite editorial writers. His piece in the Post today about the spin that poses as our national debate on the war in Iraq nails it for me. I long for the day when politicians -- on both sides of the aisle -- can talk openly about solutions to the situation in Iraq without being branded as cowards or unpatriotic.

The real patriots are not those who fall into line behind everything Bush says. They are the Republican and Democratic doubters who have pressured Bush into realizing that he has limited time in Iraq and an imperative to speak more realistically. In his speech yesterday, Bush actually admitted that "things did not always go as planned" in Iraq and that last January's elections "were not without flaws." From an administration that never admits mistakes, that's progress.

Message to Democrats: Buck up. Message to Republican ad makers: Democracy is about improving government through the uninhibited exchange of ideas. And, yes, our soldiers and enemies are watching.