The Workday Liberal

I have noticed a very curious phenomona regarding the Bush administrations pronouncements on the Iraq insurgency.

Anytime there is some type of "corner" or "benchmark" or so on that is soon to take place the administration talking points are all about how the insurgency will step up their attacks as the event approaches. This is completely understandable and one would think the insurgents are making these events troublesome as a sort of statement of their own as to the inability of the powers that be to govern despite these benchmarks. (I in no way wish to be understood as somehow thinking the insurgency is ok in doing so mind you. We should simply understand the reasons they mount these offensives as the benchmarks approach.)

What is odd about this from the administration however is that we have repeated examples of them saying the insurgency is winding down. The quote from Vice President Dick Cheney 05/31/05 was "in its last throes". We have many other examples of administration and or miltary sources (Gnl. Abizaid 03/12/05 "the insurgency is waning as a result of momentum from the elections") about the supposedly weakened state of the insurgency.

So one must wonder... what is really going on here? How can it be that the same administration would warn of increased insurgent activity repeatedly, then turn around and be so optimistic about the the weakening insurgency? I think the truth is that the insurgency is not weakening but the administration in a desperate attempt to create their own reality repeatedly asserts the opposition is dying down, until they are forced to acknowlege the true state of affairs as these benchmarks roll around.