Deepest apologies for being a week late with this analysis, but I couldn’t let Lee Terry’s Iraq visit go unnoticed.

Here’s a sample of Lee Terry’s in-depth reaction to the situation in Iraq:

“Some politicians in Washington wrongly believe they should declare Iraq a lost cause and broadcast a false message that demoralizes our troops and emboldens the enemy,” Terry said. “The briefings I received from military commanders and discussions I had with Iraqi leaders showed me otherwise – that the war is not lost, and the Iraqis are pleading that not abandon them.

Listen, I don’t doubt the sincerity of Lee Terry’s beliefs. It’s just that he’s wrong. And in the face of evidence that he’s so terribly wrong, he chooses to ignore the evidence. Fortunately, for his sake, he doesn’t make any comparisons between the streets of Baghdad and the Old Market similar to those of his colleague Mike Pence of Indiana. So maybe there’s a bit of hope - he’s not completely detached from reality.

As Smith Watch pointed out when Adrian Smith took his trip to Iraq, Terry himself made the observation that is increasingly clear as we look at his reaction to this trip:

Terry said he has noticed that other congressmen’s rhetoric on the House floor remains the same after their trips to Iraq.

He said his goal on the trip with Nelson is to keep an open mind and assess the problems, not just reinforce his preconceived notions of what’s going on. He said being in Iraq beats a briefing in Washington.

“You just have a deeper level of understanding when you have your own feet on the ground,” Terry said.

Of course, looking at Terry’s rhetoric after the visit to Iraq, it seems to be exactly the same as his rhetoric before the visit. And given the facts and the realities of the situation on the ground, it’s difficult to believe that Terry had an accurate picture of Iraq before his visit. In fact, given his rhetoric, it’s clear that he doesn’t. It’s difficult to see any optimism in what was the deadliest month of violence in Iraq in 2007. It’s hard to believe that, after 4 years, there are any reasons to hope for progress. Terry himself seems to be scrambling for anything to cling to, suggesting that perhaps he didn’t quite “keep an open mind” about his visit.

Terry’s arguments have been typical of his stance on Iraq - though thankfully, at least this time, devoid of any reference to “islamofascists” or “jihadists.” There’s little change in his rhetoric from before his visit to after his visit.

Just remember - this is Lee Terry’s “open mind.” There’s so much wrong with this war it makes me sick - but how the pro-war crowd can still justify it to themselves is beyond disgraceful, and impugning the loyalty of those of us who want to be responsible citizens in the world is the height of hypocrisy.