A Dubious Anniversary

There are, as I'm sure you know, a collection of buffoons on TV, who in a previous era would probably have been barking at carnivals, or selling snake oil.

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Li'l Bush's pronouncement that the U.S. had won the war in Iraq. You may recall that particular photo-op, with the President, dressed in his best fighter-pilot camos, "co-piloting" a Navy warplane onto the deck of an aircraft carrier languishing off California, (far from the theater of action, except in a Hollywood sense) and declared "Mission Accomplished."

But you may not recall the way MSNBC's shameless Chris Matthews covered the story. His guest was Ann Coulter, the right-wing commentator who spews only hate. Matthews breathlessly declared that Bush was a "hero," swooning: "He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, except a few critics."

Alas, five years, thousands of casualties, and billions of dollars later, the Iraq war has hardly been won. MSNBC still employs Matthews. Is there any lesson to be drawn from this?

Of course: Bring back the snake oil salesmen. Maybe things weren't so bad in the old days, after all...

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