It is repeated today by Republicans on the floor of the Senate and restated on this site, only yesterday, and it goes like this:

The Democrats have an al Qaeda problem, and this war, which was started with the Big Lie that claimed it was necessary to defeat bin Laden, must be continued to promote the Big Lie that to change the policy would help the terrorists, when the exact opposite is true.

How odd that the title of Al Gore's brilliant film, "An Inconvenient Truth," is used to repeat this falsehood, when Gore's brilliant book, The Assault on Reason, was the most sweeping and devastating destruction of this lie that created 3,600 Gold Star Mothers and allowed bin Laden to escape, regroup and gain strength.

George Bush and John McCain will be proven right about Iraq? No, the only question left is how many must continue to die for the vile, wrong, self-destructive war and how far the Senate Republicans will go to let this travesty continue, even though most of them know it is wrong, even though it is the cancer that is destroying the Republican Party.

The new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) is not an argument to continue the status quo disaster but an argument to end it.

The NIE makes it clear why American troops should not give their lives to perform the function of the Baghdad police supporting a corrupt Iraqi government, a death squad-infiltrated Iraq police, and an Iraqi army that after years of alleged American training has gone down in readiness after the surge, according to our own commanders.

George Bush and John McCain will be proven right? The NIE makes it clear that our troops should be redeployed to concentrate on the fight against al Qaeda outside of Baghdad, and to protect the borders across which arms and terrorists enter Iraq.

The NIE makes it clear that George Bush's Iraq war has created more terrorists than it killed, diverted both our military and intelligence from the real threat, and destabilized and destroyed our global military force structures at the very moment Bush's policies have created more terrorists and allowed bin Laden to regroup and gain strength.

Democrats have an al Qaeda problem?

George Bush and John McCain will be proven right?

George Bush will be morally impeached by history for that blood-stained moment when we could have killed bin Laden at Tora Bora, and George Bush said no to our Special Forces, who were pleading for reinforcements, because he was so obsessed with fighting this Iraq war that has done so much damage to our country, our troops, our credibility in the world, and the real threat that George Bush neglected.

The war against the real enemy, bin Laden, was neglected to create a war against a threat that only existed in the Big Lie talking points of neoconservative delusions, pushed by a president who is an incompetent commander in chief, promoted through fear, advanced by lies, deformed by cruel deployment of troops, pursued with torture that created countless new terroristis, covered up by commutations and protected with coming pardons, issued by leaders who fear convicted criminals and liars will turn state's evidence against those who abused the oath of office.

The Big Lie that we had to invade Iraq because of bin Laden; the Big Lie that have to continue this tragedy because we should be afraid of terrorism; the Big Lie that we promote liberty and fight terrorism with torture chambers; the Big Lie that we should be ruled by fear rather than courage; the Big Lie that we win hearts and minds with corrupt occupations and over a hundred thousand unregulated mercenaries; the Big Lie that we support our troops with cruel deployments and preventable deaths and scandals that plague wounded troops and disabled heroes.

Which of these will George Bush and John McCain be proven right about?

George Bush's Big Lie is based on the deadly falsehood that something has gone terribly and tragically wrong and we should continue it, and escalate it, and repeat the catastrophes in even larger ways, with ever greater death, and even greater damage to our military and our spirit.

No, Democrats do not have an al Qaeda problem.

America has an al Qaeda problem, and the reason is George W. Bush, who lacked the vigilance before Sept. 11, and then shamefully exploited Sept. 11 for a policy of delusion and destruction that the American people, and our friends throughout the free world, want ended here, now, once and for all.

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About author Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net