Bush Having Vietnam Flashbacks

During the Vietnam war, the constant cliché was “aiding and abetting the enemy,” i.e. that’s what critics of the war were doing. Yesterday Bush flashed back to that era, accusing critics of the Iraqi invasion of giving “comfort to our adversaries.”

Uh oh, time to break out the old “America: Love It Or Leave It” bumper stickers. (And the blacklight, and the "Stoned Again" poster...)

There’s at least one difference between Vietnam and Iraq. As a popular standup comedian once said, “unlike Iraq, Bush had an exit strategy for Vietnam.”

Bush claims he welcomes “honest criticism,” but “irresponsible discussion harms the morale of troops overseas, emboldens the insurgents they are fighting and sets a bad example for Iraqis trying to establish a democratic government.”

That’s right, Iraqis should see that democracy is a neat, clean, orderly, sterile process — sort of like Ward Cleaver giving a gentle but firm lecture to Wally and the Beaver.

Bush complained about “partisan critics who claim that we acted in Iraq because of oil or because of Israel or because we misled the American people.” (Gasp) Are people really saying such blasphemous things?

Harry Reid said “Patriotic Americans will continue to ask the tough questions because our brave men and women in Iraq, their families and the American people deserve to know that their leaders are being held accountable.”

Nancy Pelosi said “From its inception and continuing to this moment, the absence of open and honest debate has been one of the hallmarks of this war.”

Karen Finney of the Democratic National Committee said: “The Bush administration’s attack, distract and distort tactics reflect a Nixonian paranoia that is un-American. It’s shameful that once again the Bush administration resorted to attacking the patriotism of fellow Americans rather than answering legitimate questions surrounding the president’s failures in Iraq.”