I Think the President Gave a Speech Last Night...

So, I'm a little slow in giving my review of the President's prime time speech on Iraq. I did watch part of it on PBS and then listened to the rest on NPR while driving to an appointment. Color me not impressed. First, why he still needs to connect 9/11 to Saddam amazes me. We never found any WMDs, unless they are extremely well hidden.

Second, I'm just saddened that he isn't committing more troops to this venture. What he did was give us more of the same and we will only get more of the same results. Bush is known for his stick-to-it-ness. He never wavers from the course set out. Early on, this seemed like a welcome strategy as opposed to his predecessor who seemed to change tactics every moment. But now, it is not so wonderful. Some people have likened Bush to Reagan in that he sticks to his principles. While there are some similarities, Reagan at least knew how to make deals and when to change course when needed. Reagan did enter a costly arms race with the Soviets, but he also reached out to them and cut nuclear weapons. Reagan was principled, but he was also pragmatic. Bush has principles, but he bound by ideology. He has committed on a course and isn't about to change.

I will say it again: I never supported the invasion. There was not enough evidence to justify this war. If we had solid proof Saddam was planning to attack us, I would be first among many to say, warm up the Stealth Fighters. However, now that we are there, we have to win. Bush made Iraq the new front in the war on terror and if we lose this, we will have a failed state where Al Queda can incubate. Cutting and running is not an option. I think Bull Moose says it best:

The President again restated the tie between the overall war against terror and Iraq. Whatever one thought about the link before the intervention, it is certainly true now. That is why we must prevail in Iraq regardless of the validity of the original claim. With all of his errors, mendacity and demagoguery, the President has led us to the point to where there is no turning back. His domestic political opponents are placed in a position where they must hope for his and our nation’s success. Defeat would come at an unacceptable price for our country and result in a precious victory for the terrorist foe.

We have to win in Iraq. But to do that we have to win with overwhelming force and establish some objectives that will be guides as to when it is time to leave. But our President won't do any of this. And we might be consigning a nearly 30 million people to a fate decided by Al Queda.

These are truly dark days.