The parameters of what can be considered a victory have been spelled out many times here and elsewhere.

My own personal benchmark would be if Iraq got at least as far as Israel, i.e. still subjected to terror attacks, but with a government that is stable and capable of changing leadership calmly. As I have said before, I'll truly believe Iraq is a success when a couple more elections and transfers of leadership are under its belt. This is not going to be a short period of time.

I think it's more valid to put it in terms of the other options we are being given by the Democrats, which at the moment, is nothing other than absolute and unconditional surrender. There is no such thing as a "Democratic plan to win." Not even a bad one.

Remember, I don't get to pick between George Bush, the current crop of Democrats, Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin Roosevelt to run this country.

I'm being given a choice between one course that offers a chance of success, however slim, and another that offers a 100 percent chance of failure. The Democratic Party has used the term "end the war" interchangably with the U.S. pulling out. Either they are lying, or nuts. Either way, I don't want them in charge.