Secretary of State Rice, diplomatic, hopeful, envisioning a brighter future for all the world if only the United States and its allies will "stay the course" in the war on terror. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, prickly, quick to blame everyone but himself, warning of limitless threats and the "folly of turning a blind eye to danger."

But Rice's vision of the future and Rumsfeld's eye on the present share a distorted view of reality that promises neither peace nor victory.

As the speeches delivered in Salt Lake City demonstrate, the administration continues to pretend, perhaps even to believe, that the war in Iraq was a rational response to the threat of al-Qaida, and that anything other than redoubled efforts to quell the sectarian bloodshed unleashed by that invasion will only embolden the Osama bin Ladens of the world.

A more credible analysis, increasingly heard from those of all political persuasions, is that the blunders of Iraq have actually strengthened those who wish us ill, specifically Iran.

That view can even be teased out of the two speeches. Rumsfeld ominously quoted the terrorists as calling Iraq the "epicenter" of the terror war. Rice admiringly noted that President Bush says the same thing.

Rumsfeld's remarks were particularly distressing, anxious as he was to blame the media and to divert attention from his own failings by attacking patriotic Americans who have done no more than disagree with his decisions.

Rumsfeld, who so famously and deflectively noted that, "You have to go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want," has constructed an army of straw men and a navy of red herrings with which to do battle.

He warns of appeasers and "blame America first" activists, who are few in number and nonexistent in power. He belittles the importance of "police work," even as he uses the plots foiled by police as examples of the threats that exist.

Today, when we hear from the commander in chief himself, we will hope for a clearer view. But, given what his top lieutenants said Tuesday, the chances of that seem slim indeed.