Because Iraq will be the major issue this fall, brace yourself for an avalanche of distortions, cheap-shot TV ads and half-truths.

All of these will be designed to shift attention away from some "inconvenient truths."

The "cut and run" label will be applied to anyone who doesn't agree with the "stay the course strategy." I suspect that the Neocons would jump at an exit strategy if they could find one that leaves them blameless.

Seeking to score political points, Dick Cheney stated that "al-Qaida types" would be encouraged by the election of Ned Lamont in Connecticut. How low can the man go?

Not only did Lamont win his race fair and square but also his views on Iraq are in concert with those of a majority of Americans.

The phrase "cut and run" is a maritime expression. It refers to the practice that ship captains used when a severe storm was approaching.

At that time, sailors would cut the anchor cable and run before the storm. This prevented the ship from being held in place and battered to pieces.

Our ship of state is being held in place and battered to pieces by a toxic mixture of erroneous policies driven by an inability to admit error and change course. We have seen this all before, during the Vietnam era.

President Reagan had the wisdom to change course after 241 Marines were blown up on another "Mission Impossible." Our leaders both in the White House and in the Congress should follow his example.

Ted Weatherly

Carthage