A war President rallies his country

NY Daily News ^ | 4/14/04

[areafiftyone]

Unwavering, resolute, steadfast and far-seeing - those are some of the adjectives that capture President Bush's appearance before the nation last night as the U.S. is facing the worst spasm of violence in Iraq since troops embarked on the noble goal of building a democracy in the desert.

America will “finish the work of the fallen,” Bush promised as he left no doubt that he holds firm to the nation’s crucial mission. It was inspiring to hear him say that the U.S. will not be cowed by a desperate minority of insurgents who are determined to subjugate Iraq under a new dictatorship.

The country must take his words to heart because Bush spelled out exactly what’s at stake. The struggle over the future of Iraq is a historic confrontation with the forces that are trying to bend the world, and the West in particular, to their will through terror. That’s why there must be no backing down.

The President also spoke loudly and clearly to both the Iraqi people and to the guerrillas who now view noncombatant civilians working to rebuild Iraq as fair game for hostage-taking and murder. U.S. commanders will have all the resources they request, Bush said, and he has ordered them to use “decisive” force where necessary.

At the same time, Bush promised, the U.S. will hold to the transfer of power to an interim Iraqi government on June 30 — and stick to a timetable for drawing a permanent constitution, holding elections and establishing an independent, free and sovereign nation. That’s what most Iraqis want, and the world will be the better for it. The U.S. must persevere.

[areafiftyone]

I am shocked this is coming out of the NY Daily News. WOW

[The G Man]

Whoa!

I personally thought he was terrible last night.

[Jewels1091]

You did??? Man isn't it funny how many opinions can come out of a number of people seeing the same thing??? I thought he was great!!!!

[Grit]

I personally thought he was terrible last night.

Really? I was quite impressed with his performance. I tuned in late and missed the prepared statement but thought he handled the idiotic questions very well.

[jmstein7]

I agree. Despite his "plain-speak", he gave obvious hints that there was a broader strategy being employed -- the fact that he ignored the "requests" for "apologies" and did not give the press anything when they asked him what his "mistakes", if any, were.

He is clearly very clever, and it is clear that he is using a "rope-a-dope" strategy.

[GottaLuvAkitas1]

This was my review from last night.

This was one of Bush's finest hours. He showed compassion, strength, and unbelievable clarity in his mission to stay the course in the fight against terror.

Part of Bush's mission tonight was to send a message to Iraq, to our soldiers who fight, and to the families of those who have fallen that their sacrifice is not in vain. No one in their right mind should question his resolve again.

I got chills when Bush said freedom is not our gift to the world, it is the gift from the Almighty to every man, woman and child. But it is our obligation to help. (I don't remember his exact wording right now)

I am so very proud to call George W Bush my president and my American hero!

[The G Man]

I hope I'm in a small minority. My wife thought he was great too.

I didn't think he came across as really having a good handle on things, very unprepared with the Q & A part. The 15 minute speach was okay, but his answers to the press pool made me uncomfortable. He just wasn't smooth with his answers like Cheney for instance. And I thought he should have been way better prepared to handle the apology/"what mistakes did you" make aspect.

[ladyinred]

In spite of the press trying to turn this into a Kerry campaign rally, President Bush held his own! Of course, I do have to wonder how many American's actually allow the media to tell them what they heard!

[areafiftyone]

I thought he spoke from the heart - which is what alot of politicians don't do. They just tell you what they think you want to hear.

[WOSG]

I thought the prepared statement was a home run.

He blew the cover off the ball on re-iterating that we *have* a plan, we have a goal, we have a commitment, and we wont waver. And this is the right thing to do, to bring freedom to Iraq. And the end was great too, the last question, that 'liberty was a cause worth fighting for'.

Also great was his comment 'i have a plan to win the war on terror'. I detect a campaign theme in there that Bush takes on offense. (Ie what happens after Iraq?)

I thought the media asked a bunch of mostly (mis)leading questions, and he ducked a few of the potshots. Some might criticize him for it, but I dont. Pretty good under the circumstances. Only 1 question out of over a dozen were 'friendly' questions.

No a single "How do you feel about the vicious attacks against you?"

If you have a better riposte to some of the questions, let hear them... for me the question "What was your biggest mistake?" could have been answered:

"In retrospect, I regret signing the CFR bill. we see now with these 527 groups that special interest money, including billionaire funded organizations are still in politics, so the bill failed in its intended purpose; and yet the right of independent groups to criticize incumbents has been curtailed, and the ability of political parties to operate is now more restrictive, even though political parties are a key part of our political process and freedoms. Yes, I had first amendment concerns with this bill, but felt assured that Federal courts would set the right parameters. Unfurtunately, they failed to excise out the most problematic aspects of the bill, and I fear all 3 branches of Government were derilict in protecting 1st amendment political speech rights."

or even better

"my biggest recent mistake is letting you ask a question"

[Limbaudda]

He is not just clever he is a genius!!!!!

His non-committal ansers must drive the rats nuts!

Thank god there are adults back in the W house!!!!!

[NYC Republican]

I thought he was very solid as well.

[COBOL2Java]

I do have to wonder how many American's actually allow the media to tell them what they heard!

Far too many.

[EQAndyBuzz]

You know, for someone who despite being educated at Yale and Harvard I think he did a great job.

[Sybeck1]

did Clinton ever apologize for the first WTC or OK city?

[kjam22]

I got chills when Bush said freedom is not our gift to the world, it is the gift from the Almighty to every man, woman and child. But it is our obligation to help. (I don't remember his exact wording right now)

I liked that part too... even though technically I believe that God's gift to every man, woman, and child is the opportunity for salvation through the sacrafice of his one and only Son. But I suppose an American President can't say that.

[Trust but Verify]

Great point. Furthermore, did the press ever demand an apology? These 'media professionals' make me crazy. I was yelling at the TV!

[kjam22]

He is not just clever he is a genius!!!!!

LOL.... a genius? I agree he's no dummy. Remember the footage of Johnson and Nixon addressing the country. "I am committing 25,000 more troops to vietnam." I have just "ordered a troop build up to 150 thousand". Etc..... Well, we won't have any footage of that from Bush. Instead we'll have our president saying that I support the troops and whatever the General in charge needs, he'll get.

At least he does learn from others past mistakes.

[johnny7]

The country must take his words to heart because Bush spelled out exactly what’s at stake.

This 'country' does not think it's at war. This 'country' has no stomach for the kind of sacrifice it will take to maintain its security at home or abroad. I have little hope that this 'country' will heed the presidents words... or for that matter, understand them.

[lugsoul]

Hints? "We're going to change the world" - "My job is to change the world" Those weren't hints at anything except the problem with the entire Iraq approach.

I was a cautious supporter of the war. A war to eliminate a pending threat to the U.S. makes some sense. I was concerned that the threat was being exaggerated, just as it was in 1991 (Anyone recall all that bluster about the "4th largest military in the world"), but I had read enough about Iraq's WMD programs to buy into that as a primary rationale for doing it. That being said, a war to eliminate the threat is one thing -

It is quite another to wage a war to "change the world" Perle-style, i.e. to try to create a free democratic society in a part of the world that has never had such and does not have the culture to develop such on its own, and it is even more questionable to think we can impose such a system by force of arms or force of will.

The only sound reason for war is to protect ourselves. The grandiose scheme to "foster democracy" in the Middle East is a pipe dream, and this Admin needs to find its way back to reality and get off of this "world-shaping" kick.