[bonfire]

Wondered where you have been. What do you think is going on with Rumsfield privately speaking to the House today? Think it fits in with Pres. Bush's speech tonight?

[The Great Satan]

I read the Bush speech thread. Seems like just more atmospherics. The main thing is to keep up the sense of inevitability, no matter how long things might take. Again, this is a hostage crisis. We are the hostages. The sheriff might be scared witless inside as to whether he's going to be able to end the thing without losing the hostages, but he can't afford to show that, not to the media, not to the hostages, not to the madman who's threatening to kill them. The most significant statement Bush has ever made regarding Iraq is, "Saddam Hussein better remember, I'm a very patient man." If it takes five years, well, that's what it takes. Whatever it takes, we'll deal with it.