Such a tool

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN)– The United States should consider possible military action against Iran, Senator Joseph Lieberman said Sunday.

“I think we’ve got to be prepared to take military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq.”

So, Mr. Lieberman thinks that a "strike into — over the border into Iran" would frighten those Iranians silly, does he, so that they would cease and desist all naughty activity?

Foolish, foolish man.

If somebody pushes you, your natural instinct is to push them back, but harder. If they then slap you, your natural instinct is to punch them in return. Escalation like this is how simple disputes turn into serious violence. Or war.

What makes Mr. Lieberman think that Iran -- militant, confrontational Iran -- will respond to a military attack by cowering? By surrendering and backing down? A military strike to "stop them from killing Americans in Iraq" would result in the killing of more Americans in Iraq and elsewhere. Even a little nobody like me can predict that, without mental effort.

Foolish, foolish little man.

This is nearly enough to make me glad Cheney's running things. I mean, Cheney would like to start a war with Iran, but I think he at least knows that if you're going to start one, you start one. And that means taking it very seriously (I never doubt Cheney's seriousness, which makes him that much scarier to me). Mr. Lieberman seems to think that just tossing a couple of bombs at Iran will sort everything out.

Or else he knows better, and he's just pandering to the Rush Limbaughs, Ann Coulters and armchair generals in America. Which wouldn't surprise me at all, either.