Demagogue

Today, as Senate confirmation hearings concluded for Condoleezza Rice:

(Senator Joseph) Biden also criticized Rice for saying 120,000 Iraqi security officers are trained, but failing to acknowledge how many are fully trained. "We are months, probably years away from reaching our target goal," he said. "'Don't Worry, Be Happy,' that calypso song, should be the theme of the Defense Department."

Rice acknowledged "problems with the training," but said the administration is working on those problems.

But what about these rosy statements from the president?

PRESIDENT BUSH, May 24, 2004:
"... we are accelerating our program to help train Iraqis to defend their country. A new team of senior military officers is now assessing every unit in Iraq's security forces."

Or this one?

PRESIDENT BUSH, June 18, 2004:
"... we're now leading an international effort to train new Iraqi security forces. You see, there are now 200,000 Iraqis on duty or in training in various branches of the Iraqi security operations."

Never mind that the army's own figures, as of last September, told a very different story:

Currently, about 82,051 Iraqi police officers are on the payroll, but only 32,880 have received training under U.S. guidance, according to figures provided by Capt. Steven Alvarez, an Army officer working with the Iraqi Interior Ministry. Of that number, Congress was told last week that only 8,200 had received the eight-week training; the rest got a more basic course for three weeks or less.

The Bush crew sure knows how to twist the facts -- for example, use a number followed by the qualifier "on duty or in training" to put the best possible face on a bad situation.

In the aftermath of these Bush administration distortions, Condi Rice plays a familiar role -- maintain a firm demeanor and acknowledge vague "problems."