Retreat Isn't an Option (Liz Cheney Tells it Like it is!)

Washington Post ^ | January 23, 2007 | Liz Cheney

[RWR8189]

Sen. Hillary Clinton declared this weekend, " I'm in to win." Anyone who has watched her remarkable trajectory can have no doubt that she'll do whatever it takes to win the presidency. I wish she felt the same way about the war.

In fairness, Clinton, with her proposal for arbitrary caps on troop levels and hemming and hawing about her vote for the war resolution, has company on both sides of the aisle. Sen. Joseph Lieberman is the only national Democrat showing any courage on this issue. We Republicans -- with help from senators such as Chuck Hagel -- seem ready to race the Democrats to the bottom

I'd like to ask the politicians in both parties who are heading for the hills to stop and reflect on these basic facts:

· We are at war. America faces an existential threat. This is not, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi has claimed, a "situation to be solved." It would be nice if we could wake up tomorrow and say, as Sen. Barack Obama suggested at a Jan. 11 hearing, "Enough is enough." Wishing doesn't make it so. We will have to fight these terrorists to the death somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer, more deadly struggle later.

· Quitting helps the terrorists. Few politicians want to be known as spokesmen for retreat. Instead we hear such words as "redeployment," "drawdown" or "troop cap." Let's be clear: If we restrict the ability of our troops to fight and win this war, we help the terrorists. Don't take my word for it. Read the plans of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Ayman Zawahiri to drive America

[Anti-Bubba182]

"..We Republicans -- with help from senators such as Chuck Hagel -- seem ready to race the Democrats to the bottom.."

Hagel and pals will flush the GOP for who know how long.

[GLDNGUN]

Wow, she hit a home run. I think "W" should read her article tomorrow night and wish everyone a good evening.

[Shery]

Very Good!

[ZULU]

If Dick Cheney was sitting in the White House, America would be far better off. Both he and his wife are light years ahead of the current incumbents in political orthodoxy and intellect.

[Jay Howard Smith]

Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, left, walk with other members of a U.S. delegation before paying respects at The Wall of Death at the Auschwitz-1 Nazi concentration camp, near Krakow, Poland, Jan. 28, 2005. Vice President Cheney was there to take part in ceremonies commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camps. The Wall of Death was named for its use as the backdrop for firing squads where thousands of prisoners were executed while the camp was in operation. White House photo by David Bohrer

[Ninian Dryhope]

At least someone has the balls to call a spade a spade. I hate the media for not repeating the facts above over and over again, instead of acting as the spy network and propaganda wing of the terrorists.

Liberals suck.

[RWR8189]

The other of this op-ed would be the VP's eldest daughter.

[Joe Boucher]

She sounds a lot like her mother. Pretty smart gal there. Both senior Cheneys should be proud.

[xzins]

On another thread I read a comment from a civilian who said that "the politicians have screwed up the war."

There are probably all kinds of responses to that, but the one that interests me at the moment is how the war could get unscrewed so this guy could support it again.

In short, based on American culture, it would have to be something like the Indianapolis Colts and Payton Manning in the 2nd half coming out and slinging their way to a tie and then a victory.

We have to get within a field goal.

How do we translate that back to the battlefield?

There's only one way, and that's a resounding victory someplace that goes over the head of the media's ability to reinterpret it.

The QUICK, OBVIOUS PACIFICATION of Baghdad would do that. Temporarily, so would the capture of bin Laden.

[Dahoser]

It just confirms that overall, we'd be much better off with generations of the Cheney family in the Presidency than the Bush family. The elder was a huge disappointment. W is very mixed. Great on terrorism, great with taxes, bad with spending, and outright horrifying on immigration. Since the RATS have taken over, the direction has been worrisome outside of the troop surge and the seeming loosening of the ROE.

It's too bad that Dick's heart is not up to being President, but at least we had him as VP for eight years. Maybe we can get Liz to run against Hellary. She seems to have her father's stones for the task.

[tkathy]

Cheney should run for senator. She's one of the few articulates on the right.

[Hardastarboard]

a resounding victory someplace that goes over the head of the media's ability to reinterpret it.

The Tet Offensive in Viet Nam in 1968 was such a victory, but the media reinterpreted it anyway. The Viet Cong were destroyed almost entirely during that battle (~ 68,000 VC were killed), and were never again an effective fighting force. To this day, every one thinks of it as a major loss to the US.

[xzins]

If Tet had happened during the era of talk radio, internet, and Fox News, what would have been different, in your opinion?

[Northern Yankee]

Liz has a better grasp of what's going on then most in Washington.

I wish President Bush would chuck the domestic agenda in his State of the Union speech, and hit America right between the eyes in regards to what is needed to be done to win this war.

[corbie]

senator?
we should set up an exploratory commitee for "Liz for President"!
she's articulate, attractive, and anti-lib--and she always seems ready to jump into the fray.
republican women are the best!

[tkathy]

She is telegenic, articulate, witty, quick and extremely likeable.

[mbraynard]

Why can't we find a nice state for Lynn to represent in the Senate?

[DustyMoment]

We Republicans -- with help from senators such as Chuck Hagel -- seem ready to race the Democrats to the bottom

Sounds like she hit the money line too soon . . . . . . . but it's a GREAT money line!!

[katieanna]

Excellent, Liz. Keep writing op-eds PLEASE.
Kate