Still can't remember any mistakes, GW?

After ignoring the issue for two days, Bush finally spoke up only to claim that Kerry was recklessly jumping to conclusions about the 380 tons of missing explosives in Iraq. Bush speculated that the explosives may have been moved before the U.S. arrived at the site. He went on to say that Kerry was “denigrating the actions of our troops and commanders in the field without knowing the facts." Surprise, President Bush. October surprise, that is. An ABC station released a video from April 18, 2003, nine days after the fall of Baghdad, confirming that the explosives went missing after troops took control of the site.

Kerry’s criticism isn’t aimed at the troops. The blame falls squarely on President Bush who decided to ignore the assessment of Army chief of staff, General Shinseki, invading Iraq with too few troops on the ground to secure the country.

Let’s take a look at some of the things Bush’s chief warmonger said in the days before the invasion (excerpts from New York Times, Feb. 28, 2003):

“Mr. Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary, opened a two-front war of words on Capitol Hill, calling the recent estimate by Gen. Eric K. Shinseki of the Army that several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq, ‘wildly off the mark.’” (We now know whose estimates were really wildly off the mark.)

“Mr. Wolfowitz then dismissed articles in several newspapers this week asserting that Pentagon budget specialists put the cost of war and reconstruction at $60 billion to $95 billion in this fiscal year.” (Alas, $200 billion has been committed so far).

Wolfowitz said Iraqi civilians would welcome an American-led liberation force that "stayed as long as necessary but left as soon as possible.” (We‘re still waiting for the welcome wagon.)

Wolfowitz: “I would expect that even countries like France will have a strong interest in assisting Iraq in reconstruction.” (Au contraire, mon frair.)

Wolfowiz said the upper range of $95 billion was too high, and that the estimates were almost meaningless because of the variables. Moreover, he said such estimates, and speculation that postwar reconstruction costs could climb even higher, ignored the fact that Iraq is a wealthy country, with annual oil exports worth $15 billion to $20 billion. "To assume we're going to pay for it all is just wrong," he said.

Yet Bush can’t remember making any mistakes.