Kill Them!

I've been wondering why the White House seems happy to fan the McClellan flames -- and presumably the book sales. Today brings a withering op-ed "open letter" from former colleague Trent Duffy, and Friday, Bob Dole stepped out of third person long enough to call McClellan a "miserable creature" without the "guts to speak up or quit if there are disagreements with the boss or colleagues, as well as a "weasel" and "total ingrate." (Is there such a thing as "Viagra rage"?)

Partisans on either side may be enjoying the food fight -- it's cathartic for R's, proof of McClellan's points for D's. But the ink it generates isn't doing much to distract the American public from the overarching narrative that McClellan's book is a part of: Unpopular president, unpopular war, dispirited party. These are not subjects that the White House has shown an interest in keeping alive. Surely, Karl Rove didn't take all the message discipline with him when he left.

Then again, as long we're talking about McClellan, we're not talking about, you know, the war itself. Or its weird commander in chief.

Among the anecdotes in "Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story" is an arresting portrait of Bush after four contractors were killed in Fallujah in 2004, triggering a fierce U.S. response that was reportedly egged on by the president.

During a videoconference with his national security team and generals, Sanchez writes, Bush launched into what he described as a "confused" pep talk:

"Kick ass!" he quotes the president as saying. "If somebody tries to stop the march to democracy, we will seek them out and kill them! We must be tougher than hell! This Vietnam stuff, this is not even close. It is a mind-set. We can't send that message. It's an excuse to prepare us for withdrawal."

"There is a series of moments and this is one of them. Our will is being tested, but we are resolute. We have a better way. Stay strong! Stay the course! Kill them! Be confident! Prevail! We are going to wipe them out! We are not blinking!"

A White House spokesman had no comment.