It seems that the trouble in labeling John Kerry a flip-flopper and George W. Bush as arrogant and inflexible, is like the devil: In the details.John Kerry voted for the $87 billion to go to war in Iraq, as did most members of Congress, because the Commander-in Chief of our nation, and his top advisors, told them and the American people that Saddam Hussein's regime was a direct threat to America. And I believe that most members of Congress also voted for this not for an eagerness to send ourmen and women to die in Iraq, but because they believed that this would be a just war, and that we had a reasonable strategy to achieve a civil end to this unprecedented invasion by the United States.As far as the Bush administration's inflexibility goes, where could one start? Before the war started, the UN said that Iraq had no WMD. Intelligenceinvariably reported that Iraq had no connection to al-Qaeda. Iraq never tried to purchase uranium from Niger. Colin Powell himself, the former Head of the joint Chiefs of Staff, personally advocated diplomacy in the face of bullishness.As it turns out, the Bush administration has disappointed the nation, members of Congress, our recently perished troops, our currently wounded, and all of their families by maintaining that this is a war on terror.In the face of all of this, the Bush admisistration chose its path, perhaps long ago, and chose a war they did not understand, did not need and for which they did not prepare, but yet desired.I'm certain that any veteran of a foreign war will never tell you that killing, in any form, or in any action, is glorious. But it should have measurable results and goals if your nation proscribes suchaction. Think Normandy.At this, point the only measure I can see is more than 1000 Americans dead, at best estimate 20,000 Iraqicivilian deaths, oil lines that were allegedly secured now destroyed, inroads to peace made and now severed.It's time for a new Marshall Plan.Matthew Hoiland