"Incredibly, this week, my opponent said he would prefer the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to the situation in Iraq today."

Supposedly this statement made by George the younger "drew gasps from a Racine, Wisconsin audience". Aside from the fact that it is patently false what is it about the statement that would make it so gasp drawing? I feel sure that there are countless thousands of Iraqi's who would agree with that statement.

What if America were Iraq, what would it be like?

Juan Cole gives some interesting analogies. If this situation existed in America today would you now say that you preferred Gore to Bush? Sorry. I forgot. Most of you preferred Gore to Bush the first time around. Anyway...........

Saying that you prefer Saddam to the situation that now exists in Iraq is not something that only a madman would say or think. Saddam ran the country for over 30 years and there was more stability in Iraq then than there is now. Even during the 12 years of world sanctioned starvation the situation was not as chaotic as it is now.

It is like the oft repeated phrase "the world is better off without Saddam".
Really? What makes you think that? Other than losing over 1,000 soldiers and having over 7,000 wounded, spending hundreds of billions of dollars and losing all credibility in the world how have things improved in the United States since Iraq was invaded and occupied (liberated for fans of Zell Miller) It is like saying that the world is better off without Cat Stevens in it. Removing Saddam has not made the Middle East a safer place to visit.

I would never expect to hear the gasp drawing statements of preference for Saddam over the current situation in Iraq or that the world is not better off without Saddam for one simple fact.

The statements are too true to ever be uttered by a politician of any stripe.