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# Posted 9:09 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

SULLIVAN VS. MARSHALL, ROUND TWO: Andrew responds and Josh responds right back.

It's still an evenly matched fight, with Andrew just slightly getting the better of Josh. I'm giving Andrew the edge because of Josh's excessive rhetoric. For example, Andrew takes Josh to task for his statement that

"The administration premised virtually all of its strategy and most of its tactics on the assumption that the civilian population would treat us as liberators. Unfortunately, that basic assumption has been shown itself to be fundamentally flawed."

While Josh is right that the administration expected a more enthusiastic response, today's parade in Najaf does make Josh look foolish for passing such premature judgment on the merits of the administration's strategy. As Andrew points out, even the NYT presented Najaf as a straightforward example of liberation.

While the absence of any sort of uprising in Basra has been disappointing, there is still good reason to believe the Coalition will be hailed there as liberators once the army and paramilitaries are ousted.

Finally, Andrew gets considerable style points for writing that

I don't agree with Josh, by the way, that this kind of back-and-forth is insidery. We're not discussing ourselves; we're debating the issues. Isn't that what opinion journalism should be all about?"

Not just opinion journalism. Blogging.

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