Foggy brains and foggy bottom:

“The State Department even issued a statement today to the effect that we would definitely not get involved, giving exactly the opposite impression that Cheney wanted to achieve. Bush still lets the State Department get away with that crap. W has surrounded himself with too many appeasement tools like Gates and Condi.”
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I too have acquired a severe distaste for Condi’s policies, Paul.
As you say, the Military is constantly put in the position of overcoming poor political leadership.