Mistakes Were Made

Deadline Poet

By Calvin Trillin

This article appeared in the April 9, 2007 edition of The Nation.

March 22, 2007

(A Bush Administration cheer that is adaptable for conditions at Walter Reed, the firings of US Attorneys or four years of war in Iraq)

Mistakes were made, mistakes were made.
The care of our wounded received a bad grade.
The press said our soldiers were grossly betrayed.
It wasn't as bad as they claim.

Mistakes were made, mistakes were made
While purging some US Attorneys if they'd
Not done what our party politicos bade.
But no one we know was to blame.

Mistakes were made, mistakes were made.
And three thousand two hundred people have paid
The ultimate price for a hand not well played.
Our policy's more of the same.

Subscriber Login

4 ISSUES FREE

Subscribe Now!

The only way to read this article and the full contents of each week's issue of The Nation online is by subscribing to the magazine. Subscribe now and read this article -- and every article published since for the past five years -- right now.

There's no obligation -- try The Nation for four weeks free.

.

About Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation's "deadline poet." He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963 and has written the syndicated weekly column "Uncivil Liberties" since 1986. He has authored many, many books, including Tepper's Not Going Out and Deadline Poet: My Life as a Doggerelist. more...
Most Read

Issues »

Most Emailed

Issues »

Popular Topics

Blogs

» State of Change

Hank Paulson Could Care Less About Autoworkers | Treasury secretary was filled with urgency for Wall Street's bailout, but doesn't even show up to help the auto industry.
John Nichols
Posted at 10:41 PM ET

» The Beat

Another Woman Senator From New York? | NOW, Feminist Majority endorse Carolyn Maloney to replace Clinton.
John Nichols

» Capitolism

Realizing the Promise | A people's inauguration
Christopher Hayes

» The Dreyfuss Report

Obama's Gaffe on India | He ought to be urging India to talk to Pakistan, not cross the border to "catch" the bad guys.
Robert Dreyfuss

» Editor's Cut

Bread, Bombs, and the Big Stimulus | We need a smart and focused inside-outside strategy to revive our frayed social compact -- now more critical than ever.
Katrina vanden Heuvel

» And Another Thing

Can you help "Nickie"? | Bringing the abortion debate down to earth
Katha Pollitt

» The Notion

DC to Delhi: Only Our Missiles -- Not Yours | What is Rice going to say to India: only DC not Delhi is allowed to bomb Pakistan?
Laura Flanders

» Act Now!

World AIDS Day | How to help in the fight against the AIDS pandemic.
Peter Rothberg

» Passing Through

Forget GM's Plan -- Where's The Government's Plan? | Create a demand for green cars.
Jane Hamsher