Dear City: No "Q-ing," please
Topic: media criticism
Mary Anna Towler’s columns -- often little more than digests from the New York Times -- are harmless enough. But in her July 6-12 column about Bush’s lies and deceit (who knew?) she promotes a view almost as dangerous as what oozes from the White House.

Relying on some quotes from the Times, Towler seems to conclude that US forces “must finish the job” in Iraq (Bush spokesperson Dan Bartlett), conditioned on their being “guided by leaders in Washington who are at least minimally competent at waging war” (columnist Bob Herbert).

The Towler-Herbert approach, however, backhandedly legitimizes a painfully illegal occupation. In fact, the US’s only duty is to get out ASAP.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation recently published a sound strategy: an immediate US ceasefire, a declaration of quick withdrawal (including the dismantling of US bases), movement of all US forces to “remote temporary bases” away from population centers, support for true Iraqi sovereignty, and “long-term financial support” for an Iraqi-led reconstruction.

Going with a clear program like this makes a lot more sense than miring ourselves in the Q-word. Remember, the “quagmire” ruse helped the Cold War liberals keep us in Vietnam, seemingly forever. Let's keep the Terror War liberals from doing much the same.