I think one area in which Republicans are far more skilled than Democrats (generally speaking) is in the area of long-term strategizing for gaining/holding political power in this country.

My guess is that they went into a huddle, conceded that this Iraq sandstorm is a complete loss, and said, "How can we turn this to our political advantage?"

The answer was to make the ostensible 'noble sacrifice' of throwing more troops into the mess, stretching out the agony until it is during a Democratic administration that the defeat must be admitted and the devastating pullout occurs.

Cheney: "They're [ah yes, the weakly defined 'they'] convinced that the United States will pack it in and go if they just kill enough of us." Tough guy stance, but that's how wars are won or lost, in the end. Parents grieve; young people dead or maimed for the rest of their lives, psychologically and physically. For the benefit of a party's power mania.

The Republicans then will trumpet that no defeat occurred under *their* administration; the Democrats will respond in their usual disorderly, ineffective fashion (it is always disorderly and ineffective to be on the defensive). Once again, with media support (they love a good fight story), the sheepish American public will believe them and vote them back into office.

[The American electorate lets the media do their thinking for them--thinking is hard work after all--then follow their lead like sheep.]

It's ok for them to send our grandchildren into battle to die, so long as they die to keep the Party in power.

A noble sacrifice.