[Rokke]

"devastating"? In what way is it "devastating"? The SecDef discussing a list of possible options in Iraq is hardly devastating. It is the normal, assumed behavior of a policy maker.

[paulat]

In what way is it "devastating"?

It allowed Democrats to win.

[nathanbedford]

"devastating"? In what way is it "devastating"? The SecDef discussing a list of possible options in Iraq is hardly devastating. It is the normal, assumed behavior of a policy maker."

It is devastating because it is the abnormal admission for this policy maker who has been famously optomistic, who was on his way out because his policy has failed, and who is committing a last minute about face and admitting it.

“Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough.”

That was preceded by another devastating admission:

In my view it is time for a major adjustment.

The most devastating admission is the one he did not make. After telling us that what we are doing is not working and it is not working to a degree that we must make a major change now, he cannot provide a winning choice, merely a list of unpalatable options. So unlikely of success are these options that they must be downplayed so as to minimize the political effects of the failures. We have no good options.

It is devastating when it is unspun.

[Fawn]

Didn't you hear Matt and Murtha this morning? MUrtha said that all of Rumsfields ideas were stolen from him a year ago.