Advice for the Democrats from Friedman

Tom Friedman has spent the better part of the past three years offering the Bush administration unsolicited -- and unheeded -- advice. Today, as usual, he hits half the mark, but misses the other half. His advice to Democrats is, I think, well-founded. But when he tells them that the development of a social contract in Iraq will hasten Iran's democratization -- so "Just be patient" -- he is speaking to the wrong party. He needs to continue to speak to the party in power and to stop thinking that they are acting on the same principles as he is.