Jack! needs a fact-checker and quite possibly a smack upside the head

Babble on.

Jack! Layton has a doctorate degree. In fact, before he entered politics, he was a university professor.

But for a smart guy, he sure says some idiotic things. To wit, his latest proclamation on the Canadian mission in Afghanistan:

"We appear to be drifting from our original mission there – which was to provide security in the capital region – and into a combat role side-by-side with American troops," Layton said in a statement.

Jack! is - how can I put this politely? - talking out of his Paul Martin on this one.

Operations Anaconda and Harpoon, undertaken in the early spring of 2002 were most definitely not about providing security in Kabul. This isn't 'drifting', as Layton muses, it's consistent with our operations from the earliest days in Afghanistan.

First land combat operations since Korea? Snipers making unbelievable shots and having U.S. medals held up with political shuffling? Canadian soldiers dying when a U.S. pilot disregarded orders and regulations and dropped a bomb on them?

Does Jack! remember none of this? Where exactly was he in the spring of 2002 that he doesn't know about this stuff?

Yes, it's important for Canadian politicians to discuss this mission publicly - especially our national interests in Afghanistan, our objectives there, and the costs that will be associated with accomplishing our mission - both human and financial. I've advocated that before.

But this yapping about 'Bush's war' is just a transparent appeal to the anti-American left by dredging up the most counterproductive sound-bite arguments in that debate. It's beneath a prospective national leader.

Play it straight, Layton. And for God's sake, get your facts in order before you open your hole again.

Babble off.