[Brad’s Gramma]

Bookmarking!

[demlosers]

The first of these steps will occur next month, when our coalition will transfer full sovereignty to a government of Iraqi citizens who will prepare the way for national elections. On June 30th, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist, and will not be replaced.

This is the most important part of the speech. Kerry the Flipper is spinning about now.

[border bud]

Sat glued to the set. I thought it was a great speech, very succinct, and should help bring up the ratings. Shame on the alphabet stations who didn't want the public to see and hear him.

[nmh]

So, in a nutshell these are his five steps:

There are five steps in our plan to help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom:

The first of these steps will occur next month, when our coalition will transfer full sovereignty to a government of Iraqi citizens who will prepare the way for national elections.(June 30th)


The second step in the plan for Iraqi democracy is to help establish the stability and security that democracy requires.

The third step in the plan for Iraqi democracy is to continue rebuilding that nation's infrastructure so that a free Iraq can quickly gain economic independence and a better quality of life.

The fourth step in our plan is to enlist additional international support for Iraq's transition.


The fifth, and most important step is free national elections, to be held no later than next January.

He missed so many golden opportunities to ELABORATE on SUCCESSES that they've already had with these five steps that I feel it was a bomb of a speech.

People WANT SPECIFICS. How many hospitals or schools were reopened. Have some happy kids images in the backdrop (be creative) or something. SOMETHING that shows some POSITIVE emotion and GOOD progress.

[nmh]

He's got to do better than this if he wants to win the election. It's almost looking like he's running away from the problem because of no successes. He's playing into the hands of the liberal media. This was disappointing.

[Archangelsk]

Unfortunately, someone has to say the following so I'll fall on my saber. We are losing the war in Iraq for one reason, we simply aren't as committed as the insurgents. We lose one soldier, we fall to pieces and the great hue and cry calls out for 1) a pull out or 2) putting more boots on the ground (without the requisite homeland sacrifices).

The insurgents lose 40-50 in one battle and they keep coming, they never stop, and they will never stop until we are gone one way or another. There is a brilliance in that kind of committment (we had it when we fought the Brits during the Revolutionary War, we had it during WWII).

My suggestion, as I slide further down on my petard, is for this nation to put away its childish things (SUVs, idiotic reality TV shows, an infantile dependency on being entertained) and accept the years of hard sacrifices that must be made to win this war.

[EGPWS]

-- and 37 countries and the IMF and the World Bank have so far pledged $13.5 billion in aid. America has dedicated more than $20 billion to reconstruction and development projects in Iraq.

Still going it alone eh President Bush? /sarcasm