Quagmire, yes. Vietnam, no.

The motives are way different.

Kennedy/Johnson/Nixon all *thought* that they were fighting communism and with rubber and tin being Vietnam's primary assest, it's easy to accept, no matter how illconcieved, that position.

The motives in Irag are far murkier. First, Bush's folks think the only way to keep him in power is to keep a "hot" war on the TV for the voter's consumption. Second, let's not forget the oil and thirdly, the neocons have wanted to have control of Iraq going back to 1992 for stategic reasons.

Now, as for the toll that may come to be paid politically, lets keep in mind that LBJ was so beaten by Vietnem that he choze not to run in '68. Bush, however, appears to be more pathological than LBJ in that he believes his own lies so he may not take himself out of the race so iy looks as if ot up to us to help him get back to the ranch.

Boy, I'd hate to be John Kerry and know that you were inheriting a quagmire but I have faith that he would at least figgure out how to get some help from the UN and international community.

But I do hate to see what is unfolding as I fear the worst is yet to come no matter who is the next president.

Bobert