McCain, W, and Misunderstanding Iraq

Spengler wright's an interesting piece about the establishment's funeral for John McCain. Though generally right, as Spengler always is, he misinterprets events in Iraq:

Bush, supported by Senator McCain and the Republican mainstream, spent $5.6 trillion chasing the phantom of democracy in the Middle East, not to mention more than 6,700 American dead, more than 50,000 wounded and millions of lives disrupted.

There were some establishment types who supported the liberation of Iraq*, but mostly the long slog to the liberation pitted Bush against the Establishment. This includes Europe, the UN, etc.  The New York Times spent months dragging out establishment GOP types like James Baker and Brent Scowcroft to argue against removing Saddam.

The liberation of Iraq was not an establishment act, it was a radical act

*Tom Friedman (we feel gross just writing his name), Michal Ignatieff for a example.