The Public Is Misguided?

The Defense Secretary suggests the American public should not define failure in Iraq by the number of American casualties. It is rather unfortunate that this Administration believes that its own people cannot discern success from failure in Iraq. Not only does the public understand that young Americans are losing their lives for a poorly planned and misguided war, but it understands that this Administration leaped headlong into war without a success strategy. The public understands that this Administration is not willing to do what is necessary to succeed: to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure so Iraqi forces can stand alone. It understands that protracted war is not in the nation's interest: that it is bankrupting the nation's wealth, resources, and emotions. Above all, the public understands that failure has everything to do with the Administration's unwillingness to win and has little, if anything, to do with the public's perception.