Sunday Roundup

With the question of how to respond to the Syrian government's use of chemical weapons looming over him, I wonder if President Obama, at the opening of the new Bush Library, stepped into its "Decision Points Theater." The interactive exhibit allows viewers to be the decider-in-chief on a number of key situations from the Bush years, including the invasion of Iraq, after hearing advice from actors playing political and military leaders. Of course, to make Obama's experience mirror Bush's, he'd be offered cherry-picked "facts" backing up a pre-determined decision. Knowing what to do about Syria would be a "slam dunk." A more useful exhibit would be one explaining why so many from the Bush administration who got Iraq so wrong are still being listened to. The disastrous and tragic consequences of the terrible decision-making on Iraq are still very much with us (here is one), and the unintended consequences of strengthening Iran will be with us for a very long time.