"The side of freedom"

This would be funny if it wasn't so sad and scary. I watched Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz) on Hardball last night. I think Chris Matthews was trying not to laugh by the end. The guy had his talking points on Iraq downpat and he wasn't budging. I don't think he even knew the difference between the Sunnis and Shia. I found this exchange especially appropriate after reading Matt Taibbi earlier in the week . . . just watching this guy and his rhetoric on full display - talk about the "head in the sand" vote. But that's the chilling part - knowing that his bluster is what most Americans respond to and probably represents what most Americans understand about the situation (which ain't much). Here's an excerpt:

MATTHEWS: If we stay in Iraq with our troops, supporting the Shia side of the fight—because that‘s what we‘re doing, we‘re arming the Shia majority—and the Sunni revert to their warrior past and they decide to take over the country, is that our position? Mr. Franks said we should take sides with the Shia against what he calls the...
FRANKS: No, that‘s not...
MATTHEWS: Well, the jihadists are the Sunnis, sir.
FRANKS: The fact is—the fact is that our number one foe in Iraq is al Qaeda in Iraq. That is the fact.
MATTHEWS: Well, they‘re Sunnis. They‘re the Sunni Iraqis. That‘s who they are. And you‘re saying we have to defeat them.
FRANKS: They‘re the people trying to kill our soldiers, and yes, I did say we have to defeat them.
MATTHEWS: Right. You‘re saying—well, that means someone has to defeat them. That means the Shia have to defeat them. Somebody has to win in Iraq, right?
FRANKS: Yes. And it has to be the cause of freedom, and it has to be America...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: What side do you want to win over there?
FRANKS: I want the side of freedom to prevail.
MATTHEWS: Well, who‘s that?
FRANKS: I want to see Iraq be a freestanding government...
MATTHEWS: OK, but which government...
FRANKS: ... that can stop terrorism and completely...
MATTHEWS: Sir...
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: OK, I can‘t argue if you‘re going to...
FRANKS: ... completely overrun by Iran...
MATTHEWS: ... filibuster. Who do you want to win the war in Iraq over there? Which side of the fight? I mean, we can‘t—we‘re coming home eventually. Who do you want to be there when we leave? Who do you want running the show when we leave?
FRANKS: I want to see a freestanding government in Iraq that can defeat terrorism and stave off the challenge that Iran faces to dominate that region entirely.
MATTHEWS: OK, in other words, you want—but the Shia are identified with Iran.
FRANKS: Well, there may be different factions that may have some different advantages, but if we see a free government in Iraq, where they have been having elections since they were called Babylon, we could see something happen here that could germinate peace and even an ideal of freedom in the Middle East that may turn the whole of humanity in a better direction.