IF ONLY HE WEREN'T SUCH AN IDIOT...:

Troop ‘Surge’ Took Place Amid Doubt and Debate (MICHAEL R. GORDON, 8/31/08, NY Times)

When President Bush speaks to the Republican convention on Monday, he is expected to tout the “surge” of forces in Iraq as one of his proudest achievements. But that decision, one of his most consequential as commander in chief, was made only after months of tumultuous debate within the administration, according to still-secret memorandums and interviews with a broad range of current and former officials.