It's always fun to learn the ways of a strange new people, and it could be said that's what I'm doing here in DC. Part of the learning curve always includes making a faux pas or two, and I made one today. However, I am in no way sorry I did, for it taught me more than anything all week.

As I noted in this post, I was at the Center for American Progress to hear a panel of folks talk about the bureaucratic process and the spin up to the war with Iran. I'm disappointed to say it, but I didn't really learn anything new. The highlights include a few points that Corrente readers will be familiar with, and which reinforce the picture we've been developing about the Bush administration and their warmongering, incompetent, arrogant ways. The panel of experts agreed that the war will come after the election, and mainly because of the cabal out of Cheney's office.

Halperin, a very well qualified and long time Distric insider, spoke at length about the Army and the Air Force, and made an argument worth repeating. Essentially, he thinks it's useful to view military support for the war as a result of rivalries between the two forces.