Fifteen

That's the death toll from an IED attack in Iraq today. Fourteen US soldiers and a "civilian interpreter," who seems to be forgotten, at least in the radio reports.

And the commander in chief is ON VACATION. Think about it.

On a related note, Yat Pundit pointed to a Daily Kos post by Bill in Portland Maine. Of all people, George "My-Bow-Tie-Literally-Shouts-Out-That-I'm-a-Wanker" Will mentioned a very sobering fact: in Northern Ireland, the hardcore IRA militants never really numbered over around 500 (Will actually said "200 to 400"). But they fought tens of thousands of British troops to essentially a stalemate. And that's in spite of the fact that the British had a significant ally in the Ulster faction, as well as a reasonable degree of familiarity with the language and terrain. In other words, we're up against a lot worse in Mesopotamia, and we've got a lot less on our side.

A reasonable person--or group of people--would have seen this (hell, even yahoos like Brent Scowcroft and H.W. did). But the gang running things in DC scorns reality--and why not? After all, it's not their kids who pay the price.