Rumsfailed.

During the run-up to this godawful invasion we're currently enduring, it was noted at least once that the administration in charge were essentially a bunch of screwups.

This is relevant in so far as these same screwups would be prosecuting a war.

In fact, there were many people who were supportive of the war on ideological grounds --fools-- but opposed the Iraq endeavor based solely on the Bush administration's track record of complete incompetence and basic inability to govern this nation, let alone one where the folks affected by shitty decisions couldn't vote against the morons who made them.

Well on that note, we learn the following:

According to a book titled "Squandered victory" by invasion enthusiast Larry Diamond...

oh hell, I'll just cut and paste the whole damn quote:

"One story that really got me was the tale of former ambassador to Yemen Barbara Bodine suggesting to Rumsfeld in March of 2003 that it would behoove the Bush administration to develop a plan to pay Iraqi civil servants."

Well no shit. Actually paying civil servants--get out!

"Rumsfeld replied that American taxpayers would never go for it and that he was not concerned if they were paid for several weeks or even months; if they rioted in the streets in protest, he said, the US could use such an eventuality as leverage to get the Europeans to pick up the tab."

But hey, it's not like Bush had a consensual sexual relationship with an adult who wasn't his wife. That'd be an impeachable offense.

This is just garden-variety venal stupidity.

(hat tip to Kevin Drum)