Your point is a good one...and I would also argue that Bush himself wasn't intending this to be a "little war" that just got rid of Saddam and weapons..
He had a vision and purpose for changing the political climate in the Middle East from the beginning...he isn't as dumb as the dems think...and he knows how necessary it is to change Iraq to an allied democratic nation for the future of well, the future.
Bush also wanted a US military base in the Middle East.