Because it would be a shame and a loss to leave this thread having taken that measure of a person before trying everything.

If you won't believe Ari Fleischer and the White House, here's what some folks besides me have heard. Please note that most folks including the White House have equated "major combat operations" with "major hostilities".

Interim Iraqi governing counciluntil May 1, 2003 -- when Bush declared major hostilities over, Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim, current president of the interim government, told The Associated Press.

CNNSo far, more than 50 Americans have died in Iraq since President Bush declared major combat over.

Houston Chronicle Instead, they died together -- some of the 25 U.S. soldiers, airmen and Marines who have lost their lives since President Bush declared on May 1 that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

USAToday But even Republicans strategists say there will be trouble for Bush if postwar Iraq continues to claim the lives of American troops. Hundreds of U.S. servicemen have been killed since bush declared major hostilities over.

Christian Science Monitor WASHINGTON – By declaring that major combat operations in Iraq have ended, President Bush has put an exclamation point on what is seen by the public as a successful war.

An Australian

Asians

Some French folks heard this: "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended.

Well, you get the idea. I'm in pretty good company on this one. I suspect it's a losing linguistic battle to argue otherwise in the case of Iraq. I don't think even Clinton could manage this, or would try to.

In my humble, again, opinion, the strong language you are using probably isn't warranted, in this matter, anyway. A problem for you is that it really doesn't bother me, I know I'm right on this one. But you would do yourself a favor by apologizing. It's an integrity thing.

The apologies I've made, including a recent one to Tom Brosz, have been made by me, to him, for me. I like to hold my head up.

Please don't give me another person to look down on when I do that.

Arf