Iraq appears to be a "suckers" enagegememt. The longer we are there, the more the costs mount, and the less money will go to the middle and lower spectrum of the economy. This is why there were no plans with respect to the outcome on Iraq, because it only takes American presence over time that is important. But at what costs?

Isn't it about time that the media does and analysis upon the Project for a New American Century? This whole sordid occupation stems from the neocons stupid agenda of supposedly supporting a beachhead of democracy into the middle east which supposedly would inject democratic governments in the area while it purports to a number of concerns, one of which ousts other economic contenders like China from overtaking the US strategically in the oil and energy categories. The Iraq debacle must be assessed from the institution of this policy so as to assail the ridiculous philosophies of this group. The trouble is that W. needs a presence in Iraq minimally, so the ongoing problems we experience in Iraq is part and parcel of the objectives for the Project on a New American Century. Surely, the media can engage in the opprobrium which is this stupid policy and what it entails over time. Few people realize that this policy is paid for in time by falling social emntitlements including social security and the like. Americans do not understand that the ongoing mess in Iraq is subsidized by the neocon desire to lower these social entitlements since these costs are off-balance liabilities, much like the costs to our economy wrought with Vietnam. The Neocons are using these future costs to continue the Iraq objective which only time can overcome. What a snow job! The Neocons appeal to American values of patriotism and victory while the people get "conned" into believing that a just victory in Iraq only means declining entitlement injections of money as these will eventually pay for this continuous conflict. People wake up to this onerous process! Wolfowitz, while now gone to the World Bank, is still operating within the underlying philosophy of this Iraq mess. Our children and their children will be paying for this stupid engagement which these do not tell you conveniently. Why should they since these neocons want a smaller operating government which means less money for the poor and greater money for the wealthy, this is the true outcome of the Iraq continuous presence. The media should investigate!

Hi Brian, I have been thinking about these two numbers a lot and it seems one has surpassed the other, why has there been no news coverage of this dastardly milestone?

Wikipedia shows that there were 2, 992 (including 19 suicide hijackers) fatalities on 9/11.
According to the Pentagon, 2,939 members of the U.S. military have died since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

We have now had more members of the military killed in action then we had citizens killed on 9/11.

For me, the decision to pull out of Iraq is a no-brainer. That should be particularly easy for this President. The reason is that we lost the high moral ground at Abu Ghraib, and we will never get the hearts and minds of the people back unless we leave, and they see what it's like without us. We can always go back in, so let's build up New Orleans for practice while we're waiting!

Finding out that Cheney was getting a good "toungue lashing" from the Saudi king may provide a greater impetus for this president to get his act together. He cannot continue to go around seeking advice which probably is unwelcomed anyway. All this going around to various so-called advisers truly speaks to W.'s inability to look truly presidential just as in the case of the MY PET GOAT incident. Does Cheney's appearance as Saudi lapdog invoke a greater need to respond to this Iraqi embroglio? The Saudis want to intervene with underdog Sunnis while the Iranians will support the majority Shiites, what a mess!You know that the White House will want to spin this in its own direction. That the US will have to stay as mediator between two great powers: Saudi Arabia and Iran. I still think that professional wrestling is behind this mid east problem, the forays look so campy just like that with the WWF.The US looks to be the referee as two stalwarts "berate" each other in surmized BATTLE OF THE TAGTEAM ADVERSARIES. It is shameful how foreign policy has deteriorated to wrestling antics!

Brian ...

What a sweet thing to say about your wife -- may I assume that, all these many years later, she's still glad that she struck you with that particular bolt of lightning? I'm glad you didn't turn into a pile of ashes or were split in half, by the way.

If I was a cartoon (I was once compared to Jessica Rabbit, which was an honor and a dismay both at the same time), I would choose becoming a pile of ashes over being split in half, and I would most certainly choose ashes over the fate that almost met Jessica. Since, in reality, having my clothing blown off could be a possibility if I were to be struck by lightning, I'll have to make sure my petticoats have been freshly laundered before I venture out into a thunderstorm ... just in case, since I always seem to have the worst of luck where fate is concerned. Thanks for the heads up, Brian !!! :-)

I attended college with a girl whose name was Shanda Leer (only in Mississippi, as we say). Bless her heart !!! She was/is the sweetest girl who is blessed with a tremendous vocal range and a perfect pitch. Though she didn't really seem bothered by her parents choice of names for her, she did choose to change her name after graduation to something normal and a bit boring, and has been singing with one of the major opera houses in Paris for sometime now. I happen to know of at least two in these parts who have had to live with the name Dill Pickle (again, bless their hearts). Thanks to "Bewitched", I went through much of grammar school and some of high school being asked if I had any special powers like Samantha's cousin, Serena (different spelling, but I guess using the same pronunciation counted). I love my name, anyway -- glad I wasn't burdened with a name such as Sir Worthstone's, for sure (bless his heart, as well !! ) :-)

I am in complete agreement with Alexa. For you to take the time to do this is commendable.

You are undoubtedly my favorite anchor in all of the news media. Not only do you deliver quality news every evening, the devotion you show to your audience is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. While other news organizations have tried to establish their Web 2.0 presence, the combination of the The Daily Nightly blog and vlog – and the consistency with which you update it – is unparalleled.

After reading the “First Read” blog (also one of my favorites), I come over to The Daily Nightly to find your insight and humor almost every day. It is almost as if I’m reading an email from a close friend. While all anchors must have an “everyman” appeal in order to connect with their audience, you seem to exemplify this. I love your stories of bad drivers in Jersey, cell phones in LaGuardia, and today, your comment on poor Troy Smith.

As an aspiring political reporter, you are certainly my role model. While I am studying in London at the moment, I spent the summer interning at Weber Shandwick across the plaza from NBC. I saw you a couple times, but never had the courage to start a conversation. The Starbucks underneath Rocafeller Center seems to be a big hangout for the NBC crew. Your other colleagues were friendly – David Gregory, in particular.

Anyway, thanks for being such a standup anchor and human being. You personify the lifestyle I want to lead. By the way, my father used to live in New Canaan. I also might be a bit biased for you and Russert as you both are a fellow upstate NYers!

Bear with me for being off-topic--but neither story I'm commenting on was mentioned, so...

First of all, thanks for Mike Boettcher's first-rate piece on the troubled students of New Orleans' McDonogh High School in the wake of Katrina. It is truly heart-wrenching that while their parents have to stay in Houston, Atlanta, etc., where they have jobs, the children have to make it on their own in New Orleans, where they "grow up too fast." Sometime ago I read an article about that, in which the youth, because there are no adults in the home, have to juggle school with jobs, caring for younger children, etc., which was really sad. And being Katrina survivors, they also have to cope with healing their inner wounds. Any or all of which could cause some to be stressed out or angry enough to act out. I've also read about how New Orleans' schools are experiencing shortages of space, employees, textbooks, and other materials, which makes them inadequate for a city even of New Orleans' diminished size. Kudos to Principal Jackson and the teachers and support staff for how they've been dealing with their students' and school's difficult situation.

Now for something lighter--I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Obama's "big announcement" about rooting for the Bears. I imagine my dad would have appreciated that--he was a Bears fan through and through. As for me, I like both the Bears and the Saints. I think it would be neat if they ended up in the Super Bowl--though I wouldn't know who to root for.

Why does it take too long for Mr. Bush? He wasted four years already. Now, Mr. Bush did not like ISG's report, so he is shopping around others. That telling us he has no vision, no decisive, and lack the leardership skills.

Brian,

How many ways can he say "Stay the course"? Looking to 2008 and maybe someone with common sense

Can they get any crazier than that? What reason at all would Troy Smith blow up a plane for? With his Heisman? The nerve of some people....
Good job, Mr.Williams. I look forward to your broadcast tonight.

Brian, earlier this year you reported that Bush was in a reading competition with Karl Rove and the number of books Bush has read for this year numbered around 60 with Rove in second place.

It is a known that Bush goes to bed early, before 9pm, and has a daily workout that can last over 2 hours per day.

Given that Bush is so busy reading 3 or 4 books a month and working out he needs to take a vacation or else he doesn't have enough time to run the country.

Perhaps he needs to get his priorities in order: work before personal time. It's the holiday season - it's OK to put on a little weight, it's OK if Rove reads one more book than Bush.

Brian,
Although I watch you nightly, this is the first time I've read your blog. I'm very impressed and will now be a regular. Your sensitivity, integrity and sense of humor in your broadcast are welcome into our home every night, especially during these difficult times. Keep up the good work...we look forward to many years of reporting from the best in the business.

Baloney! He doesn't have a plan. Karl Rove and Cheney probably didn't give him one yet. I agree that the DECIDER'S delay in announcing his plan for Iraq is unconscionable.
And why did the taxpayers have to pay for Rummy's good-bye trip? He was as good as fired, and you don't send rejected personnel around to make speeches. Just another indication of his and Bush's arrogance--it's all about them!
WHY do we stand for it?

Brian,

I’ve kept up with “The Daily Nightly” since its inception back in May of ’05 and it still astonishes me that you take the time to write a detailed, insightful, well thought-out note to your viewers each day before the broadcast. Brought up in a generation where text messaging is often the preferred way of communication and college papers are typed rather than written I considering myself fairly proficient on a computer keyboard but it would take me at least ten minutes to type what you wrote in today’s blog and that’s just typing; I’m excluding any thought process that may go into actually writing the blog. My assumption is that you devote half an hour each day to writing The Daily Nightly, where do you find the time? Your dedication to your audience astounds me. Your obvious, undeniable (practically palpable) affection for your family is quite admirable. You're a dying breed; kudos to Mrs. Williams.
Oh by the way, it took me 15 minutes to write this. Amazing.
As always, look forward to your broadcast.

To Pete from Fairhaven, MA - very well put.

I've got a name for ya. A few years ago, there was a college basketball player named God Shamgod. I've never forgotten that name. I've also never forgotten he played for Providence...

Brian, like Susan I was pleasantly surprised at your sense of humor, I love it - it's dry like my own, as for the bolt of lightning comment - great for brownie points, although after 28 years of marriage my husband still lights my fire too - isn't that a great thing in this crazy world, thank goodness we both have a safe place to fall - thanks for your blog I really enjoy it.

I'd hate to end up stuck in Jericho with a bunch of Liberals. ooops think that's another network.

Bush delaying announcement of a viable Iraq strategy is unconscionable.

To allow American and Iraqi lives to be lost due to an incompetent president stalling for time, is more appalling than an unprepared student whiningly demanding a grade of incomplete at the last possible moment.

The time is ripe for the American citizenry who already gave him failing marks in the November election, to petition Congress to expel him via investigations, impeachment and conviction.

Support our troops? As if the president cares.

The bully-in-chief is none other than Calvin and Hobbes' playground nemesis, Moe.

However, I fear that the rapid departure of Saudi Arabia's ambassador today is but a preview for an escalation of a Middle East all out war involving Saudia Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

Events will soon be out of America's ability to control.

With no progress toward Middle East oil independence, trillion dollar debt to China and increasingly, a corporate ruled America, where does that place America on the world stage?

Brian,
It just bothers me that more of our troops are in harms way and face the very real potential of death while the president and Washington work on getting a speech right. I do agree that he's a very intelligent man surrounded by some of the county's brightest minds, but it's a situation that went terribly wrong.

I have only read your blog a few times and am surprised that you have such a sense of humor. I guess thats because you have to look so serious when you are braodcasting the news

I agree with Mr. Rumsfeld that the term, "War on Terror" is not well-suited to the task. However, this is not because the American people cannot handle the subtlety of a long war in the vien of the Cold War. If, for example, we were just pursuing Islamofascists throughout the world (starting in Afganistan), then the American public would understand and strongly support the effort (including the Left). The problem is that the invasion of Iraq completely muddied the meaning of the term, "War on Terror," because Iraq was not a center for Islamofascism or for terrorism in general. I'm not saying Hussien's hands were "clean". But the countries with the dirtiest hands were the Saudis and the Iranians. Toppling Hussien may have been a moral thing to do to help the citizens in Iraq, but it made no sense to call it part of a "War on Terror." Deciding to equate the two only ruined the clarity and power of the term.

Brian,
Very nicely stated about your wife. We can assume you'll be bringing a copy of that home tonite?

So many topics for coverage today, glad I don't have to make the decision of what gets cut.