It's The Politics, Stupid!

Kevin Drum has it right:

Before the war, we passed up a chance to take out terrorist mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi — for political reasons. We invaded with too few troops — for political reasons. We lowballed the cost of the war — for political reasons. We ignored the UN and then turned around and pleaded for their help — for political reasons. Then we installed Iyad Allawi as president behind the UN's back — for political reasons.

Of course, we've heard this before from John DiIulio. Suskind said:

"There is no precedent in any modern White House for what is going on in this one: a complete lack of a policy apparatus," says DiIulio. "What you’ve got is everything—and I mean everything—being run by the political arm. It’s the reign of the Mayberry Machiavellis."

All decisions are being made by the political arm of this beast; the policy arm has withered and atrophied. Occasionally it will twitch and jerk, and produce something like the despicable "Middle-Class Tax Cut," somethings for which both parties ought to be ashamed.

Or this little gem, wherein the GOP ruled House has so much spare time that it can deal with such weighty issues. Of course, this keeps them from looking into DeLay's fiscal misadventures in Texas.

Gotta love the 2 party system. 2 Americas, and my America isn't having a party.