Kerry actually gets tough

Kerry Accuses Bush of Hiding the Truth About Iraq [NYT]

Kerry told a National Guard Association in Las Vegas:

"[Bush] did not tell you that with each passing day, we're seeing more chaos, more violence, more indiscriminate killings," the senator said. "He did not tell you that with each passing week, our enemies are getting bolder — that Pentagon officials report that entire regions of Iraq are now in the hands of terrorists and extremists. He did not tell you that with each passing month, stability and security seem farther and farther away."

Mr. Kerry cited a report in The New York Times that a classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July painted a dark forecast for Iraq's future. Mr. Kerry said the report in The Times showed that "his own intelligence officials have warned him for weeks that the mission in Iraq is in serious trouble."

Bravo! We need to hear a lot more speeches like this.