Unlike some contributors here, it hasn't bugged me too much that Kerry has been somewhat silent on Iraq and the Administration's pre-9/11 inactivity. With new charges and problematic information hitting them daily, there's been no reason for Kerry to chip in. Indeed, doing so may just have allowed some people to write it all off as he said/she said partisan bickering.
But now that Bush will hold a press conference in prime time tomorrow night, is this the time to raise the stakes for Bush by calling him out?
I think it is. Bush has succeeded in public life by setting and exceeding low expectations. In regard to a defending his reckless Iraq policy, expectations couldn't be much lower, right now. I fear that by simply acknowledging that "there's tough going in Iraq, and my condolences to those that have lost loved ones," he'll get a lot of credit for finally owning up to reality.
Why let him off so easy? I think Kerry should demand a public explanation for why Bush sent so many troops into harm's way without adequate support or without a clear exit strategy. Iraq was a high stakes gamble played with real the lives of others, and Bush needs to explain the reasoning for his actions.