Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company

They say that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, and the Bush administration has never seemed to be scholars of history.

I am reminded of what brought down Joseph McCarthy. It wasn't because he was excessively anti-Communist and a witch-hunting bastard. It was because he crossed the Army. If it turns out that Bush and company have stupidly gone consistently against the military and the results lead to a weakening of the armed forces, there will be political hell to pay come November.

I don't think that the military is above a little political intrigue, although I trust that they are suitably subtle about it, having learned over the years how to go about the job. In this respect, Kerry is a very good nominee for the Democrats, in that he is not some willy-nilly pacifist who would would make a realist go for Bush, warts and all.

Watch in the coming months how Colin Powell is treated by the administration, and to what degree he distances himself from Bush/Rumsfeld.