A Cure for the Pessimism: Prime Minister's Allawi's Speech to Congress

An excerpt from a historic speech:

They said we would miss January deadline to pass the interim constitution.

We proved them wrong.

They warned that there could be no successful handover of sovereignty by the end of June. We proved them wrong. A sovereign Iraqi government took over control two days early.

They doubted whether a national conference could be staged this August. We proved them wrong.

Despite intimidation and violence, over 1,400 citizens, a quarter of them women, from all regions and from every ethnic, religious and political grouping in Iraq, elected a national council.

And I pledge to you today, we'll prove them wrong again over the elections.

A remarkable speech. Worth reading, worth listening to.
And less than 30 minutes later, Pessimism personified spoke in front of a firehouse:

"The president says that things are getting better in Iraq and we must just stay the same course," Kerry said. "Well, I disagree. They're not getting better, and we need to change the course to protect our troops and to win."

I think Mark Racicot said it best:

"Today, John Kerry showed he lacks the judgment and credibility to lead the United States of America to victory in the war on terror." Racicot said Kerry's "attacks on the veracity of the Iraqi prime minister's historic address to Congress reveal a stunning propensity to take political cheap shots for his own benefit by denigrating our allies in this important struggle against a global terror network."

It does not matter if you are running for President or dog catcher. You don't attack the veracity and credibility of a visiting Prime Minister minutes after a Joint Session of Congress. Mr. Kerry crossed lines of conduct today that are beyond lack of class. It borders on stupidity. For a Presidential candidate to make this attack on Mr. Allawi's credibility says far more about John Kerry than it does about the Prime Minister of Iraq.