The Washington Post reports the Bush administration yesterday launched a public relations campaign to counter the growing criticism of the administration’s handling of the Iraq occupation.

Both Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice addressed the 104th VFW national convention. Rice highlighted what she saw as successes in Iraq as well as in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

It was at the 103rd VFW that Vice President Cheney spoke a year ago kickstarting the administration’s push towards war. At the time, Cheney said, “Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us.”