Thanks to everyone who contributed to this inquiry, with a special nod to Dave Schuler for his links to the NTI summaries. After reading through the basics, I offer my conclusion to the matter, here.
ORIGINAL POST
Four years ago, as the U.S. invaded Iraq, I was caught up in my own turmoil, allowing a change-of-jobs milestone to distract me from larger events of far greater importance. Accordingly, what I think I remember of those larger events is horribly muddled, and just how muddled those memories might be hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks this afternoon as I read this post by Steve Benen.
As I explain at Central Sanity, my recollection of “the facts” is much different than Steve’s, and while I respect him, I also believe in the value of trust-but-verify.
And so — at the risk of destroying any vestige of credibility I once had as a political observer — I’m prepared to now expose my potential ignorance and invite TMV readers to join CS readers in setting the record straight. Is Steve’s report correct? Have voters like me so forgotten the facts of the time, four years ago, that we now accept (without questions) the Bush/Cheney/Romney “fiction” re: IAEA inspectors?