Once again ... strategies and objectives are being confused.

The objective of any American president ... in fact his mandate under the Constitution ... is to protect the lives and freedom of the American people.

Since September 11, 2001 ... the Bush administration has acheived that objective with spectacular success. There has not been a single attack on American soil in nearly five years.

If someone had said to me on September 12, 2001 ... that there would not be a single terrorist attack on the U.S. for the next five years ... I ... and probably you too ... would have said, "How can that be? Surely there will be dozens ... maybe hundreds of attacks ... large, medium, and small. No attacks at all for the next five years ... is impossible!"

What has happened over the past five years is that our professionally-trained armed forces have fought the terrorists on their turf ... and have killed or otherwise eliminated ... vast numbers of them ... all the while allowing each of us to sit at our keyboards in peace and safety. Some of our very good and brave people have died in the process ... but that's what happens when you fight back at a determined and well-armed enemy ... some good people die. But better it be a relatively small number of trained professionals than much larger numbers of untrained civilians.

President Bush and his administration have been extremely successful in achieveing their ... and our ... objective. Nitpicking over strategy details is utterly meaningless ... the objective is being achieved ... we've all been free and safe ... and that's all that counts.