It may concern Joe Biden (in his peroration on John Bolton yesterday) that bureaucrats were upset when Mr. Bolton was getting in their "back yards."  What I am concerned about is that the bureaucrats were clueless when the bad guys were getting into OUR back yard. 

I do not favor an abusive style, but if I have to choose, I choose the person who is committed to the mission over the one who is committed to the norms of bureaucratic procedure.  And what is all this whining anyway?  As Harry Truman said, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

We — the public — have been polite about 9/11 because we all want to pull together.  But, we don't forget that the bureaucracy FAILED the country on 9/11 — the State Department failed; the intelligence community failed; the policy formulators failed.  They laid us open to attack.  Our friends, family, lovers, countrymen were offered the choice of jumping to their deaths or roasting alive.  It is only due to the courage of the passengers on Flight 93 that the Capitol itself is not a smoking ruin.

Biden thinks the preeminent quality in a nominee is to go along to get along.  But that has lead to tremendous, historic failure.  I want someone who will NOT observe the procedures of failure — will NOT "stay out of bureaucratic "back yards" — but instead will pursue the mission ferociously. 

We are at war.  We need the John Boltons.  I want George Patton in charge of the Third Army.  Biden wants to protect bureaucratic failure.........which can lead to defeat.  How serious are we about winning this war?

Greg Richards   4 21 05