–Headline, New York Times, October 19

Before the war some working groups at State
Predicted problems certain to await
The occupying forces in Iraq.
But at Defense the neocons held sway.
They had contempt for viewpoints on the fray
That didn’t come from them or from their claque.

They paid no mind to such defeatist talk.
They knew for sure the cakewalk that we’d walk
Would tame the Middle East with one great blow.
Iraq would pay its reconstruction bill.
Resistance, once we’d won, would soon be nil.
And what could striped-pants cookie-pushers know!