[Lonesome in Massachussets]

As best as I can see Bush’s critics have been in error far more often than he.

Lincoln was roundly reviled almost throughout the Civil War.

Lee, possibly the most brilliant general in American history, was routinely pilloried in Southern editorials.

I can only imagine what the LSM would have made of Valley Forge.

The Normandy invasion only succeeded because the German general staff was convinced that the main blow would fall at Pas de Calais.

Victory is often only clear in retrospect.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Thank you for a fresh dose of perspective. I agree with you that only 10-20 years from now will we be able to determine the outcome of all of this. I pray that it has been worth it. Easy for us to debate. We weren’t KIA.

[RobbyS]

Lincoln was roundly reviled almost throughout the Civil War ,p> Wrong. He was villified until the day he died. Even after his death, his REPUBLICAN allies were thrilled that he was out of their way.

[patriciaruth]

The Normandy invasion only succeeded because the German general staff was convinced that the main blow would fall at Pas de Calais.

But getting the Germans to believe the invasion would be a Pas de Calais was an important part of the plans in "Bolero" and "Overlord." We did more preinvasion bombardment of Pas de Calais than we did Normandy, for instance, and there was a lot of secret agent stuff going on also to give the Germans the idea they had reliable information.

More than that. Our invasion of Sicily and then Italy was not to occupy or free them, but to learn more about how to conduct successful marine landings and most importantly to draw German divisions away from the beaches of France and the Russian front.

Additionally, before Normandy we bombed all the railroads leading into France so that the Germans couldn't transport divisions into France easily to fight the Normandy invasion.

And that's just part of the story.