Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Quagmire or Quandary?

President Bush couldn’t say what needed to be said in his speech last night. He should have said something like this.

It is time for me to admit some mistakes and ask for your help. I was wrong to invade Iraq. I let myself get carried away and then made the decision to invade Iraq sound more necessary then it actually was. I did not intend to lie, but I did manipulate the truth to make my policies more politically palatable. I apologize to everyone that was called unpatriotic when they questioned my actions and policies. Sometimes the most patriotic act is to dissent. Questioning your loyalty was a cheap political move, but with your help I would like to put that in the past.

Secretary Powell’s Pottery Barn was analogy was correct. We have intervened in Iraq and it is now our responsibility, not the world’s, to see our actions to a successful conclusion. While I may have exaggerated some of the issues used to justify the war, I truly believe that Iraq, the Middle East and the world will be a better place when Iraq is a peaceful country well on the road to democracy.

As the President of the United States, I take responsibility for invading Iraq, but now we all have a moral responsibility to see it through to the end. So I ask all my fellow citizens to give me your support and prayers over the next difficult months and years. To our friends around the world, I also ask for your help. We need the help, ideas and resources of all countries that want to see a free and democratic Iraq. We need partners to succeed.

Finally to the brave mean and women of the armed forces and the families that wait for them, I asked you make sacrifices that I probably shouldn’t have. Every death and injury truly grieves me. But I also truly believe that if we hold to our ideals and purpose, the end will be worth all the sacrifices. You have given more than you’ve been asked, but now I have to ask for more. We need you to continue the excellent work you have been doing until we can turn Iraq back to the Iraqis. I can’t tell you how long that will take, but I will promise you that no one will fight harder for you and your families than me.

President Bush couldn't and wouldn't say this for political (domestic and international) and philosophical reasons, but I would liked to have heard it.


3 comments:

Out Of Jersey said...

I personally found the fact they called the designated areas where they could protest "freedom zones". There is hypocracy all over the place these days and such extreme thinking it almost scares me sometimes.

Moggy6Actual said...

If he had said that would you support him? Or do you want him to say that he made a mistake so you can gloat and get your pound of flesh?

LogicalOne said...

No, I'm not looking for a pound of flesh. We no longer debate issues or respect our opponents. Anyone who questions the current administration is attacked. I'm tired of having my morals and patriotism attacked (by Karl Rove, no less).

We shouldn't be in Iraq, but we are there and the President needs the support of the nation to see the reconstruction through to a successful conclusion. The President still insists that Iraq was so strongly linked to 9/11 that we had to invade. Does he really believe we are that stupid? If you want people to support you who generally don't, tell the truth for a change. And quit questioning the patriotism of Democrats who supported you when you took us to war and who support you now when you say we need to finish the task.

The President, by his refusal to make statements like the one I proposed, is saying that continued political success is more important than the war he led us into.