David Brooks Can't Use the Word "Iraq"

In his column yesterday on the Lamont victory in Connecticut, Times columnist David Brooks took up his new cause—saving the Democratic Party—and said that Joe Lieberman, and not the "net roots," has the wisdom to see that "The civilized world faces an arc of Islamic extremism that was not caused by American overreaction, and that will only get stronger if America withdraws."

Withdraws? From what? The word "Iraq" never appears in Brooks's column. It used to be that he diminished Iraq as a "single issue." Now it's no issue at all.

P.S. Those on the left who gave Lamont his victory are also concerned about the "arc of Islamic extremism." We differ in that we think Iraq is hugely important: a catastrophic error in foreign policy that has filled the terrorist swamps.