Josh Marshall would do well to read this fine post Steve, as would many other policy wonks inside the beltway who are seemingly clueless on anything regarding the Bush misAdministration.

Excellent post. I am sure none of us are surprised that Bush has said one thing and done another. It is his modus operandi. I am very concerned about the people in the middle east who are unable to determine their own destinies and I am extremely concerned about the problems this type of action will create for us in here in the U.S.

I don't know about lumping Wolfowitz togethr with Perle on this. Wolfowitz has drawn substantial fire from Likudniks for his insistence on doing something about settlements, for instance.

But this post is excellent. I wish I could say that I'm surprised by the administration lying about putting forth a 'road map', but lying is what they do.

I think that it was a couple of weeks ago when I decided that I could no longer think of the Bushies as people who, although really fucked-up, had good intentions within that fucked-up world view. No, these people are evil.

Matt, you make a great point about Wolfowitz getting flak from Likud over his attempts to keep honest about settlements. Do you know of a cite for that, or a story I can refer to so that I can update my post?

thanks a lot, and thanks to all of you for your comments.

Here's a Frank Rich piece that talks about how Wolfowitz was booed at a pro_Israel rally.

And here is an interview in which he calls for a Palestinian state and Israeli concessions on settlements.

The thing is, it seems to me, that Wolfowitz is genuinely idealistic--unlike, say, Perle, Cheney, or Rumsfeld. I also think that they will sell him out after the Iraq invasion, and that he will have to admit that the guys around him were not all that idealistic after all. He may even quit before Colin Powell does.

Mark, that is very interesting information on Wolfowitz. It surprises me. I don't see him resigning though. He has been hanging with Perle, Cheney, Rumsfield etal for many years. He should know where these guys are coming from by now.
As for Powell, I think he has shown his true colors at last with all of his lies about Iraq. I have never understood the adulation for Powell. If he was truly a sincere and good person he would not be associated with the Bush administration. He was a central figure in the Iran/Contra mess and tried to cover up My Lai. He is a protege of Caspar Weinberger. I think he learned well.

Is it moral clarity if it's clearly immoral?

Steve, this is an incredible post. It seems everyday there is yet one more reason to despise the Bushies. Letting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict twist in the wind is clearly one of their worst acts. I think of them as the administration in love with Death.