When Senator John Kerry dared to criticize the Bush administration by calling for " regime change " last week, Republicans were quick to question the patriotism of the Massachusetts Democratic senator and presidential hopeful. " America before New Hampshire, " declared House majority leader Tom DeLay of Texas. " Once the war is over, there will be plenty of time for the next election, " added House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois. And Senate majority leader Bill Frist said: " Partisan insults launched solely for personal political gain are highly inappropriate at a time when American men and women are in harm's way. "

But what happened when the tables were reversed, and American forces were fighting in the field during the 1999 NATO action in Kosovo? The message from the Republican commentariat wasn’t anywhere near as reverential toward the military decisions of President Bill Clinton. Particularly interesting were the words of George W. Bush, who at that time was a presidential candidate and the governor of Texas. Bush’s campaign circulated an official statement that was far from the wartime rally-’round-the-flag spirit called for by the GOP today: " Whenever the United States of America and our NATO allies threaten to use force to end a tragedy like the one in Kosovo, we must follow through. American credibility is the most important weapon in preventing future tragedies, " Bush stated. (The intimation was that President Bill Clinton — fresh on the heels of the Monica Lewinsky scandal — somehow lacked the credibility to carry out the action.) Bush added: " We must have a clear mission, an achievable goal, and a credible exit strategy. The ultimate question is, ‘Will this military action lead to the goal of ending the conflict and bringing peace and stability to the region?’ "

Jeez. Even before the Iraqi invasion, Bush bristled at questions about the war’s mission and ultimate goal. And exit strategy? Forget about it. Since the bombs began dropping, he has been even less keen to answer tough questions about the goals of the war. Standing side by side with British prime minister Tony Blair last month, Bush stated tersely that the engagement would last " as long as it takes. "

Bush may not have criticized the Clinton administration during wartime as colorfully as Kerry lit into the Bush " regime " last week. But let’s face it: when the shoe was on the other foot, Bush failed to rally behind a wartime president as he expects Democrats to do now.