Counteroffensive overdue (Cal Thomas to Bush)

Washington Times ^ | 2/11/04 | Cal Thomas

[Elkiejg]

For months, President Bush has been a sitting duck, taking incoming rhetorical fire from Democratic opponents and a willing media eager to bring down his poll numbers so they can have themselves a contest. The poll numbers are down, and it appears there will be a real contest. It is time for the president to return fire.

[Elkiejg]

Good advice from Cal. WH and Rove - are you listening???? Time to go on the offensive. Also, the flip-flops of Kerry need to be posted time and time again -- we KNOW the LIEberal media won't do it.

[risk]

Think of it: every day they dig themselves deeper and deeper. They have no idea what the President and his cabinet have up their sleeves.

[Ramcat]

It's not time yet.
Bush knows it.
Edwards can still pull this nomination off and might present a problem with those who are looking for a prettier candidate.

[Broadside Joe]

I think one must first ask where the republicans in the house and senate were during this time. They had plenty of opportunities to counter the BS and spin.

[OpusatFR]

No major offensive at this time. They have provided lots of stuff now that Kerry is the heir preposterous.

Just listen for the drips coming through that leaky roof.

[Poohbah]

Yup, Kerry is up in the polls. So were Mondale, Dukakis, and Dole at this point--and the incumbents didn't waste their time "returning fire."

[ambrose]

Marathon, not a sprint...

[Fenris6]

Agreed. I'm very frustrated the Rowe et al haven't let us take the field - but I trust his judgement. Apparently we are saving the big guns for when they will have the biggest punch. Its like getting shelled all night while your commanders are busy locking in targeting data that will obliterate the enemy - but not until tomorrow. Sigh.

[DustyMoment]

The problem here is that Cal Thomas is talking to DEAF people. The Bush WH has lost its ability to hear the voices of American voters who are, increasingly, dissatisfied with many of the President's most recent proposals. Bush 43, like his father, has become arrogant and will not take ANY advice if it does not spring from the lips of Karl Rove. If he does not smell the coffee soon, Bush 43, like his father, will also be a one-term president.

America deserves better than these political elitists. Bush got off to a faltering start, but 911 brought out his leadership. Since then, he has taken a hard turn to the left to the dismay of many of his conservative base. Whether he can woo them back before November remains to be seen. There may be a lot of time, but I don't see any effort on his part to do anything but pander to people who won't vote for him anyway.

Like it or not, if Bush doesn't return to his conservative roots soon, by this time next year we may be saying President Kerry.

[Alas Babylon!]

Well I think you make a very good point. If Kerry can use the well of the Senate to attack the President, why can't a Republican senator do a follow-up on the hypocrasy coming from him and the left? Also, Republicans ought to go on the offensive calling major press conferences to lambast the so-called media on their left leaning biased reporting. If the media is carrying water for Kerry and the Dems, and I think they are, our side should be making a lot of noise about it.

[Just mythoughts]

This election is a "WAR". When fighting a "WAR" one must gain the "INTEL" on the enemy. What kind offensive act is all this reliving the 60's crap?

Size up your enemy and then go after the leader. The enemy or in this case the liberals are trying to decide which one of their own will be their "leader".

Only a few short months ago looked as though Dr. Dean would be the leader, right?

Why would a sitting President leading a war from outside the border want to get caught up in a donkey braying contest?

The extremes to which the donkeys have to go to wake up the base exposes their weakness.

These donkeys have no moral compass and yet they want others to be held accountable. So the donkeys have set the parameters of what they required to be President and it is time for we the American people hold their ideas and deeds accountable.

What kind of person would "VOTE" for "WAR" and then a few months later after the military is in the midst of that "WAR" refuses to "VOTE" to fund those he sent to WAR. All because it was politically expedient for his presidential campaign.

The President has a job and we the people hold responsiblity in this "WAR" and we should not sit back and wait for one man to respond to "INSANITY". This is about our security and what kind of nation we will be and the last thing that gives us security is to return to the 60's of "hippy" power.

[EQAndyBuzz]

OK people, This is February 11th. Not Novemeber 2nd. At this time there is no, and I repeat no Democrat nominee for president. Therefore firing shots at them will serve no purpose.

Between now and November, Kerry's record isn't going anywhere. Whatever he said 30 years ago will still be there in 7 months. There is no additional spin. He cannot change what he said.

Nailing any RAT at this time only opens up the door for a Draft Hillary movement. She will be tougher to beat then any RAT candidate. Rove knows this. The WH knows this. And the press knows this.

The RATS will self destruct before then. IMHO, Hillary is the candidate and Kerry is going to implode by the hands of the Hillary contingent. Probably sometime not long after super Tuesday. You will know this because you will see Hillary start being mentioned in polls; "who would be the candidate to beat Bush in November, Hillary or Kerry?" Once we see that Hillary has a shot(within 10 points) Kerry will be destroyed.

What the WH needs to do is to continue on the path of getting GWB out in front of people for feel good things. Let the RATS continue to hammer him and show their true colors. No criticism from the right. Project a positive, presidential image.

Then after the convention, open up with both barrels. We will want this to be over before the first debate takes place. That is how GWB will win the election. Remember Bush1 lost because of the "perceived tax increase." Bush2 will be hammered for Iraq and that is a good thing.

[Tricorn]

Be patient, Cal, old bean. "Meet the Iraqis" in February turns into "Meet the who now?" by November.

Don't worry, Cal. Everything will be ooookay...

[Texas_Dawg]

Good advice from Cal. WH and Rove - are you listening???? Time to go on the offensive. Also, the flip-flops of Kerry need to be posted time and time again -- we KNOW the LIEberal media won't do it.

I think they know what they are doing. Let Kerry attack away at will for now. When the election is closer, blast back with your new info and make the guy look bad. Do that now, and you're shot by November. GWB is going to win this thing easily. I think they are intentionally not trying right now and like seeing the polls drop to 50/50 (makes for a better "Bush surging" headline when it's 55/45 in October).

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting this.

There is a poll at the link that every Bush person needs to go vote in -- it is Bush vs. Kerry!

[PhiKapMom]

The Bush-Kerry poll was an ad from Newsmax that was on the Washington Times site. I voted and received this from Newsmax with the link to go vote:

Thanks for taking the time to vote in NewsMax's online "Bush vs. Kerry" poll.

Results will be sent to our readers via these email alerts first.

You can encourage others to vote in this urgent national poll about the 2004 presidential race by forwarding this email to as many people as you can, telling them to just click here to vote:

http://www.newsmax.com/bushkerry

[texasflower]

Thank you for the ping!

[windchime]

Thanks! Was hunting for the link.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Mr. Kerry told USA Today last Feb. 12 that leaving Saddam "unfettered with nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction is unacceptable."

He will be pounded for this. Will go to the link and vote...thanks.

[lepton]

NRO: The Corner

KERRY IN VIETNAM [John Derbyshire]
VERY interesting, from a military reader. I post the following because of its authentic-sounding quality, with no wish to slight or disparage anyone -- certainly not anyone who did combat duty in Vietnam. Would be very interested to hear comments or rebuttals from knowledgable servicemen or ex-servicemen, and will post them, though I reserve the right to edit (as I have, slightly, here).

"Three caveats to remember before examining JFK's war record:

"(1) Medal inflation. The Viet Nam War (VNW) was unpopular; in unpopular wars medals are generously awarded to try (usually unsuccessfully) to boost the morale of personnel and/or alter public opinion [the Wehrmacht on the Russian Front comes to mind]. The Navy was especially troublesome in this area because the majority of Naval personnel (aviators being the most prominent exception) in the VN theater were almost never exposed to enemy fire -- there were virtually no naval battles in the VNW (probably not even Ton-kin Gulf as it turns out). River patrol craft personnel were thus the Navy's entree into the medal arena -- they got lots of them.

"(2) Three and out. It was a naval tradition -- NOT AN OFFICIAL POLICY OR REGULATION -- that allowed personnel with three Purple Hearts to transfer to non-combat duty. JFK was well aware of this tradition.

"(3) JFK's Rank. Although JFK was not a high ranking officer he was always the highest ranking officer ON THE SCENE -- these were small craft and small operations. Enlisted men would be unlikely to risk contradicting JFK's account of what happened -- and 'boot lickers' would be encouraged to corroborate him. As ranking officer he was the one writing the eye-witness reports. In a sense his medals -- though approved by higher-ups -- were 'self awarded.'

"With these three caveats firmly in mind let's look at JFK's record:

"JFK experienced his first intense combat action on 2 December 1968. He was slightly wounded on his arm, he was awarded his first Purple Heart.

"JFK was awarded his second Purple Heart after sustaining a minor shrapnel wound in his left thigh on 20 February 1969.

"JFK was given a Silver Star for an action on 28 February 1969: JFK's Patrol Craft received a B-40 rocket shot from shore, he beached his craft in the center of the enemy positions and an enemy soldier sprang up from a nearby (10-15 ft.) hole and fled. The boat's forward machine gunner hit and wounded the fleeing VC as he darted behind a hooch. The twin .50s gunner also fired at the VC. The gunner said he 'laid 50 rounds' into the hooch before JFK leaped from the boat and dashed in to administer a 'coup de grace' to the soldier. JFK returned with a B-40 rocket and launcher. [In contrast, Army and Marine personnel were -- and are still -- routinely trained to engage and close with the enemy. Had JFK been commanding a platoon or rifle company this action -- going towards and not running away from enemy fire -- would have been routine.]

"On March 13, 1969, a mine [this is dubious; marine mines were hardly used by NV forces; it was probably a propelled grenade of some type] detonated near JFK's boat, slighting wounding Kerry in the right arm. He was awarded his third Purple Heart. On the basis of these awards JFK then petitioned to be removed from combat operations. Interestingly JFK also made sure to have the men who served in his craft transferred to safer positions (easy to due in the VNW Navy) -- perhaps to ensure their endorsement of his actions."
Posted at 11:46 AM