Neocontrarians

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Neoconservative war hawk Ken Adelman has gone public with an attack on the Bush administration's handling of Iraq, saying that "the President is ultimately responsible" for what Adelman now calls a "debacle." The Washington Post notes that criticisms now coming from neocons such as Adelman and Richard Perle are the "most striking" examples of trend in which "embittered insiders turn against Bush." Does this mean the neocons have wised up, or is this just a case of rats deserting a sinking ship? Ken Silverstein thinks they're still rats. "Adelman's hypocrisy is stunning," he writes. "In 2002 it was he who famously predicted that American forces would enjoy 'a cakewalk' in Iraq, and during the run-up to the invasion he derided war critics for their stupidity and naiveté. ... But what's most astonishing about Adelman's current criticism of the Bush Administration is that he argued for a 'stay the course' approach long after it became clear that the war was a burgeoning disaster. ... Now, after all this, Adelman would have us believe that he has absolutely no responsibility for the Iraq disaster?"