So I'm watching the overnight re-air of Hardball with Chris Matthews, and Ken Adelman, the gentleman who famously assured us in February of 2002 that toppling Saddam would be a "cakewalk," is trying to explain that he was just referring to the first part -- you know, winning the war. Not actually, well, occupying the country or anything. No, no, that is not what he meant, at all.

The scary part is that I've just about reached the point where I believe him; the neocons apparently really never did have a war plan that went beyond marching to Baghdad, knocking the tyrant from his throne, and then turning, with a certain superpower elan, to graciously accept the heartfelt thanks of a grateful Iraqi people. And these folks, remember, are supposed to be the tough guys, the hard-headed realists, on the American foreign policy scene.

Balls.

POSTSCRIPT: No transcript yet, but when it's available, you'll find it here.

--------