here comes the comeback

John Kerry was terrific on Letterman last night. He was relaxed, funny, and on message. And finally, he has a compelling message on Iraq. In a speech yesterday he provided the best articulation of the President’s poor leadership and poor choices.

The President claims it is the centerpiece of his war on terror. In fact, Iraq was a profound diversion from that war and the battle against our greatest enemy, Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. Invading Iraq has created a crisis of historic proportions and, if we do not change course, there is the prospect of a war with no end in sight….
In Iraq, this administration has consistently over-promised and under-performed. This policy has been plagued by a lack of planning, an absence of candor, arrogance and outright incompetence. And the President has held no one accountable, including himself.

Sen. Kerry’s criticism of the President is dead on, and it’s good to see him step it up. He faces the continuing challenge of trying to describe a plan for Iraq, though it is impossible to guess what the situation there will be by the time he is elected. He’ll face criticism for that, but a vague outline of coalition building is better than no clue at all.

His speech has played well in the press, and I think this could be the turning point, when we finally stop focusing on forged documents and lying veterans, and pay attention to the ever-growing quagmire in Iraq.