It is now common coin among Bush-doubting conservatives that the cease-fire

and withdrawal from Fallujah back in April was a horrible blunder. My

understanding is that the administration felt that the political price –

i.e. the body count, both allies and Iraqi collaterals — was too high to

pay just six months before a presidential election.

If that was in fact the administration’s calculation, there is nothing

particularly contemptible about it. Politics is the art of the possible,

and a President has to make political judgment calls like that even when

dealing with military matters.

If, however, following the inauguration for a second GWB term in January –

which I now look forward to with confidence — the bad guys are still

ensconced in Fallujah, could we please level the place? Please? And sow

salt in the ruins?