Early yesterday morning the American people learned that the Saddam Hussein had been captured by U.S. forces. It was a great day for America, but not for American liberals: they lost an anti-Bush talking point.
Headlines like these . . . :
"Captured"
- USA Today
"WE GOT HIM"
- Washington Times
"Hussein Captured: Army Finds Him Hiding in Pit"
- Los Angeles Times
"The Capture of Saddam"
- New York Post
"Hussein Caught in Makeshift Hide-Out; Bush Says 'Dark Era' for Iraqis is Over"
- New York Times
"Hussein Captured: U.S. Forces Uncover Iraqi Ex-Leader Near Home Town"
- Washington Post
"Hussein in Custody"
- Baltimore Sun
"U.S. Troops Capture Saddam Hussein"
- Wall Street Journal
. . . Trumped statements like these:
Gen. Wesley Clark: I'll be happy to tell you where I stand. I think I've been very consistent from the beginning. Right after 9/11, this administration determined to do bait and switch on the American public. President Bush said he was going to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive. Instead he went after Saddam Hussein. He doesn't have either one of them today. (October 26, 2003)
Sen. John Kerry: . . . [The Republican Administration] used to think their strong suit was national security. They can't find Osama bin Laden, they can't find Saddam Hussein, they can't find even find the leaker in the White House. (October 9, 2003)
Terry McAuliffe: . . . And let me tell you why [we're going to beat George Bush]. First of all, we can't find Osama bin Laden. We can't find Saddam Hussein. . . . (June 25, 2003)
Maureen Dowd: . . . The White House is cleverly trying to distance Mr. Bush from the messy problem of flesh-and-blood soldiers with real names dying nearly every day, while linking him to the heroic task of fighting global terror.
It's better to keep it vague, to talk about the "important cause" and the "brave defenders" of liberty.
If he gets more explicit, or allows the flag-draped coffins of fallen heroes to be photographed coming home, it will just remind people that the administration said this would be easy, and it's teeth-grindingly hard. And that the administration vowed to get Osama and Saddam and W.M.D., and hasn't. . . . ("Death Be Not Loud," November 6, 2003)
Al Sharpton: Mr. Bush will not be in a Sharpton administration the head of missing persons. He can't find bin Laden. We don't know if Hussein is living or dead. . . . (May 17, 2003)
