buh bye! Why did it take a complete shift of power in the congress for Bush to get his head out of his ass and realize Iraq isn't working, and the reason it isn't working is b/c their plan failed, well really they didn't have a plan. We need a new plan and new civilian leadership to get Iraq together. We should not be pulling out until the job is done, probably another 5 years. This isn't Vietnam, in which we were fighting a heavily funded opposition government. Iraq is winnable if we get Syria and Iran to stop funding insurgents, and if the Iraqis get serious about corruption and want change. It will be long and tough, but sacking Rummy is a step in the right direction.

Austin Bay says Joe Libberman ('Fighting Joe') is the new messiah. Who am I to disagree? Okay, he doesn't say that, but he's thinking it. Anyway Joe supported the War on Terror (WOT) and won big against his rival, suggesting that people can still back congressmen strong on terror yet liberal in other respects such as healthcare.

Yet, in voter surveys, people ranked the WOT the same as other issues such as congressional corruption as a reason to vote for their candidate. So, yes, the WOT is big, but there are other issues that are still important (ie economy, schools, healthcare, etc). Survey results are here.

Update: Greyhawk has more analysis, and more depth. Key quote, if the election was all about Iraq, why did it place 4th on voter's concerns?