When Scott McClellan can’t defend Dick Cheney’s comments, you know the Bush gang is having trouble.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Cheney told CNN’s Larry King that the insurgency in Iraq is “in the last throes<\/a>,” and insisted that violence in the country “will clearly decline.” It’s prompted some to suggest that the vice president is, unfortunately, delusional<\/a>.<\/p>\n At yesterday’s press briefing<\/a>, ABC correspondent Terry Moran asked McClellan to explain what Cheney meant and why the nation should believe him. It didn’t go well<\/a>.<\/p>\n Q Scott, is the insurgency in Iraq in its ‘last throes’?<\/p>\n McClellan: Terry, you have a desperate group of terrorists in Iraq that are doing everything they can to try to derail the transition to democracy. The Iraqi people have made it clear that they want a free and democratic and peaceful future. And that’s why we’re doing everything we can, along with other countries, to support the Iraqi people as they move forward\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.<\/p>\n Q But the insurgency is in its last throes?<\/p>\n McClellan: The Vice President talked about that the other day — you have a desperate group of terrorists who recognize how high the stakes are in Iraq. A free Iraq will be a significant blow to their ambitions.<\/p>\n Q But they’re killing more Americans, they’re killing more Iraqis. That’s the last throes?<\/p>\n McClellan: Innocent — I say innocent civilians. And it doesn’t take a lot of people to cause mass damage when you’re willing to strap a bomb onto yourself, get in a car and go and attack innocent civilians. That’s the kind of people that we’re dealing with. That’s what I say when we’re talking about a determined enemy.<\/p>\n Q Right. What is the evidence that the insurgency is in its last throes?<\/p>\n McClellan: I think I just explained to you the desperation of terrorists and their tactics.<\/p>\n Q What’s the evidence on the ground that it’s being extinguished?<\/p>\n McClellan: Terry, we’re making great progress to defeat the terrorist and regime elements. You’re seeing Iraqis now playing more of a role in addressing the security threats that they face. They’re working side by side with our coalition forces. They’re working on their own. There are a lot of special forces in Iraq that are taking the battle to the enemy in Iraq. And so this is a period when they are in a desperate mode.<\/p>\n Q Well, I’m just wondering what the metric is for measuring the defeat of the insurgency.<\/p>\n McClellan: Well, you can go back and look at the Vice President’s remarks. I think he talked about it.<\/p>\n Q Yes. Is there any idea how long a ‘last throe’ lasts for?<\/p>\n McClellan: Go ahead, Steve….<\/p><\/blockquote>\n