I didn't catch this the first time through, but Isakson, at about 2 hours, 40 minutes into the hearing made, albeit gently no doubt due to party affiliation, the point that I was trying to make about diplomacy and negotiation. Its really sad that Rice needs to be educated in a congressional hearing about the ABCs of diplomacy.

Another point thats bothering me this time through more than anything else, perhaps, is this notion that any questions concerning contengencies to the so called 'new plan' (which the republican Senator from Alasks did an excellent job in illustrating as nothing but a repackaging of the old plan from 2005) are dismissed by rice as 'poinless speculation'. That somehow having a 'Plan B' for any part of the plan is 'silly'.

If I went into a project planning meeting for a software project with a plan that held no accounting for contengencies, no projected stress points and no flexibility to real-world scenarios, I would be laughed out of the room if not fired directly.

The other amazing thing is that while rumsfeld may be history, the 'rumsfeldian' approach to dialogue is still at play in the administration. IE: take honest questions about real issues and dismiss them as silly or unreal... while impugning the realism or intellect of the questioner. What is further interesting is to see Rices attempt to use this additude on the Dems shut down by Democrats... and even more amazing- her attempt to employ it on republicans of the cmte.

Watching Rices emotional reaction to some of the less-than-congenial displays by one-time republican allies is quite informative. Its clear to me that Rice walked in expecting the circa-2004 kid gloves and unquestioning acceptance by the major republicans. To see her fluster and stumble in front of Hagel and others was really interesting.

Basically, it indicates an administration so 'in a bubble' and walled off from reality that they didn't even take the time or have the foresight to feel out key republicans ahead of time about what their position or reaction was. It indicates an administration who had 'no idea' what the probable shift in positions that the last election would evoke. Its very disturbing.

In essence we see an administration which has, from the very beginning, substituted ideology for reality and strategy in Iraq... And has thus been continually unable to bring about any meaningful results there, or to meet any realistic objectives. Now we see that despite the hard lessons of the last year, this behavior by the administration seems to extend to their own political process here at home, with members of their own party who were once erstwhile supporters!. This only reinforces my view of the presidents recent speach- which struck many including myself as completely out of touch with the will of the american people, the advice of the senior military, the Iraq Study Group, members of congress and our allies abroad.

Let me be clear- I leave all moral equivalence aside in this comparison... But I am reminded of Hitlers absurd military decisions and delusions in the final year of WWII. He disregarded the advice of his military, surrounded himself even more with sycophants and formulated absurd military strategies that were completely out of touch with reality.

DL