Kristol Clear In the Washington Post, Bill Kristol defends his now-infamous, we're-winning-the-war op-ed. (If you want to indulge in a tragicomic laugh, it's here.)

"I've been pretty consistent, pretty upfront and straightforward about my views," he says in his downtown office. "I had the same views when they were reasonably popular as I do now when they're unpopular. It would really be pathetic to adjust one's analysis based on public opinion."

Of course popular opinion isn't the reason to change one's mind; reality is.

Kristol, by the way, is just leaving on his first actual visit to Iraq. Far be it from me to fault anyone for having opinions about the war without having been there, but it's hard to understand how someone can be quite so bullish about the war without having paid a visit.

On the other hand, maybe that's the only way one could be bullish about the war.....  ¶ 6:35 AM