Playing To Lose

Powerline Blog writes of Democratic opportunism.

The Weekly Standard goes further, and attacks the recent New York Times Editorial.

IT IS AN ESPECIALLY cruel but increasingly common irony of the war in Iraq that Washington and Baghdad are in separate universes: what happens over there is not much connected to what's happening back here. But Sunday's New York Times "Week in Review" section sets a new standard for cognitive dissonance.

Jules Crittenden also adds some much deserved harsh words for the Times as well.

To continue along a similar thread in earlier posts - the Democratic and Media opportunism is perplexing. Zawahiri's recent tape, for example, smacks of al Qaeda's recent losing streak. The lovely old codger even admonishes his followers and potential followers to do their Islamic duty or “May Allah pluck your eye out.” Now that's a nice Jihadi lad.

However, Zawahiri also points to signs of what he calls recent U.S. "retreat," which can only refer to Congressional efforts to end the war.

Regardless, as The Belmont Club puts it: Zawahiri is not a man who exudes the air of a winner.

When al Qaeda is on the run in Anbar and Diyala, when Kurdistan is peaceful, when Basra is about to be handed over to Iraqi control, when al Qaeda's de facto leader issues a neutered, flaccid appeal for more corpses for his lost evil cause, why are so many editorialists and politicians convinced and convincing us of our defeat?

Ideology? Politics?

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Power.