Recipe for success?

Interesting story in the Post about Bush's statement.

I think this comment is telling of the exchange between Tony Snow and a reporter:

Ed Henry reported for CNN this morning: "Tony Snow a few moments ago in an off-camera briefing telling reporters that the president wants to talk about how this plan by the Democrats is a, quote, 'recipe for defeat' and how it would, quote 'provide victory for the enemy'. Now when I pressed Tony Snow and said 'What's your recipe for success?' he got a little frustrated and thought I was interrupting and said, quote, 'Zip it'.

"He later apologized and acknowledged it was inappropriate to say that to me. And then when I pressed him more on the subject, he said 'Well, we're trying to turn this over to the Iraqi army' and he talked about what we've heard a lot of in the last four years, about turning this over to the Iraqis. But again, still now, Tony Snow adding the caveat that they're just not sure what's next. He said, quote, 'We don't know how things play out'. That's something the American people have heard over and over again over the last four years. And now obviously, a lot of predictions at the beginning of this war, about how long it would last, how much it would cost, have all turned out to be wrong."

A couple of quick comments. There's no idea or plan on what to do next. This is the main reason we've been unable to win the war. No one has thought about the next step. Most importantly what to do if the current "plan" doesn't work. Printing up a huge banner saying "Mission Accomplished" doesn't mean that's what happened. Over and over again underestimating what it would take to win the war. Or more realistically not thinking about what to do after Iraq fell under our control.

Continuing to send troops into harms way when they don't have the right equipment. There was a story on ABC about a vehicle called the cougar. It is built in such a way as to channel the explosive power of an IED away from the vehicle. No one has died in one of these or been seriously injured. The factory that makes them can only produce about 50 a month. About the time we're ready to leave Iraq there will be enough of these cougars to protect our troops. Why the hell is the government not taking over one of the factories GM is closing and using the workers to make cougars to protect our troops. Oh yes, I know that would be acknowledging the complete incompetence of this administration.