Actual intelligent discussion from the NRO on Iraq (shocking, I know)

[geek tragedy]

http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200409210840.asp

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ATMOSPHERICS: Bush loses every time there is a picture of another car bombing in Iraq. So the summer helped him, when there were two political conventions and the Olympics, among other things, to keep Iraq on the back pages. The more Kerry highlights Iraq — rather than Vietnam or health care or whatever — the more incentive the media have to cover events in Iraq.

TRUTHFULNESS: The Democrats have wasted a few weeks trying to erode Bush's reputation for honesty by picking away at his National Guard record. But no one cares much about 35-year-old events. On Iraq, Bush is forced to give the sunniest possible picture, one that will depart from more pessimistic analyses within the government (witness the recent National Intelligence Estimate) and perhaps even from reality. It is here that meaningful points can be scored against his truth-telling.
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RESORT TO NATIONALISTIC DEMAGOGUERY: U.S. troops have been essentially placed at the disposal of a foreign government. Kerry should pledge never to allow this abdication of a commander in chief's responsibility to happen again. A cheap shot? Yeah, but you better believe Republicans would take it if a Democrat were in office now.

ATTACK HALF MEASURES: Kerry should say he would never undertake an assault on enemy forces and then pull back to leave the job undone, exposing U.S. troops to the depredations of the enemy they were about to smash. This is pretty much what happened in Fallujah.

HAMMER THE "POLITICIZED WAR": It has been domestic political considerations in Iraq that have kept U.S. troops from going all out in Fallujah and elsewhere. This is natural, since war always has to be related to its political goals, in this case creating a stable, legitimate Iraq government. But it provides fodder for another line of attack: for Kerry to denounce the "politicized war." He can also claim that American politics are keeping Bush from flushing out enemy areas, since he allegedly doesn't want to risk more U.S. casualties right before the election.
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If Kerry wants to really take off the gloves, some of these could work.