As far as I can make out, President Bush’s response to Kerry’s attacks regarding Iraq is, “I should be President because I am Commander-in-Chief.”

The essence of his argument is that it would be disheartening to troops and the Iraqi supporters of Bush’s policies to change the leadership that started the war in Iraq.

Bush advances this argument to immunize himself and his policies against any scrutiny that finds his judgment lacking in either the decision to begin the war or his conduct of the war once it began.

The American public — in particular, the voters — should reject this argument outright, because it is essentially an argument for a dictatorship. After all, why have elections during war if it’s wrong to remove the sitting president from office?

It is a disservice to both suffering American troops and to democracy to accept this idea. First, because American troops deserve a competent commander-in-chief. Second, because one of the fundamental tenets of democracy is that no public official is above reproach.

Bush has been quoted as saying ?Things would be easier if this were a dictatorship ? as long as I?m the dictator.?

Small joke.