Administration Lowers the Bar in Iraq -- Republicans Parrot Kerry and No One Cares

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, on the administration scaling back its goals for democracy in Iraq:

"One of them told me: 'When we went in there, I thought we would build American-style democracy. Hell, I'd be happy with Romanian-style democracy now.'"

Rep. Kolbe is not alone -- some significant Republicans are breaking ranks on Iraq. Republican Sen. John McCain (also of Arizona) said Bush was not being "as straight as maybe we'd like to see" with the American people about Iraq, (CNB notes that Kerry made a similar statement yesterday), which was said mere months after McCain called the plan in Iraq "inadequate." Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees, said, "The fact is, we're in trouble. We're in deep trouble in Iraq." Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said "the incompetence in the administration" led to only $1 billion spent out of $18 billion appropriated last year for reconstruction efforts.

Why is it that when Kerry criticizes the decisions leading to the current state there, he is flip-flopping, but when several prominent Republicans say the same thing, nothing is said whatsoever? That seems a wee bit intellectually dishonest to the good ol' CNB.