• Why was 1972 used as a reference benchmark? Thirty-two years isn't exactly a nice-round period of time. Was it perhaps to subtly remind people of the Arab terrorists who killed 2 Israeli athletes and caused the death of hostages and police during the Munich Olympics that year? I wouldn't want to unjustly accuse Bush of fear-mongering, you know, so maybe someone can think of an alternative explanation for the odd choice of year.
  
  
• What criteria was used for determining what a "democracy" is? Were any of those "democratic" republics in which turnout is mandatory and the Dear Leader gets 99% of the vote counted? If so, then Iraq under Saddam would count as a democracy as well, wouldn't it? (Strong-men leaders have learned the value of cloaking their authoritarian regimes with the trappings of democracy -- something that the Bush-clan probably looks on with envy, since the party and the government does the heavy lifting of vote rigging, without the need for the candidate to get relatives and retainers to do the job.)

Update: Salon's "War Room" has more.