Ramesh: This has become the conventional wisdom (I mean, of the last month

or so) among conservatives who support the admin. on Iraq: That if only the

President and his people would get out there and explain their case, public

support would firm up.

I beg leave to doubt this. The admin. case on Iraq is not hard to grasp,

and is, if my own conversations with friends & neighbors can be judged by,

widely understood: A secure & stable Iraq is essential to our nation’s

long-term security.

I’m not sure the problem is that people haven’t heard this. It may be that

people have heard it, but just don’t believe it.