At the anniversary of President Bush’s infamous flyboy speech, in which he intoned, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” it is a good time review…

First, and foremost; What leader in any nation would ever make such a proposterous statement? While I can (sort of) understand a young hotshot speech writer penning this sort of overblow hyperbole, I can not imagine that the President of the United States wouldn’t pause, for just one lucid moment, and say, “Hey, I’m not going to say this! This isn’t over. Everyone knows we’re going to be fighting in Iraq for years!”

This raises a series of questions that all tumble into absurdity. If Bush did ask his senior level staff and they told him, “Yes sir, this IS the end of major operations” then we have to assume the GWB is as big a fool as we think he is. On the other hand, if he asked them and they told him the statement was over-reaching, then we have to assume that GWB, by going forward with the line anyway, is as big a fool as we think he is. You see my point.

Now, just to be fair, I wanted to excerpt a couple of other goodies from this same speech, such as…

The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done. And then we will leave — and we will leave behind a free Iraq.

Hmm. A free Ieaq. So that’s the benchmark for leaving? How do we define free? A duly elected government? If so, it’s time to go. See, isn’t history fun!

And tonight, I have a special word for Secretary (Donald) Rumsfeld, for General (Tommy) Franks, and for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is grateful for a job well done.

Ok. So those words for Rummy eventually, well, you know how it goes in DC…

Just a portion of what POTUS said on May 1st, 2003 from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln. Clearly the “great emancipator” was listing in his grave.