I wish Bush would stress more the sacrifice of the Iraqi people, security forces, and leaders who are, along with their families, the targets of assassination. The Baker study, the Dems, and the MSM make the Iraqis the scapegoat. They create the impression that the Iraqis are not doing enough. In point of fact, they are bearing the major burden of the struggle.
Why should he spend every media opportunity constantly going over the same material?
It is not the same material, but expanding and detailing what is going on. Why doesn't the President use the bully pulpit to state the successes, e.g., more electricity and oil are being produced than before the war, better and improved water supplies, more roads, etc. Let him show where the violence is ocurring and the fact that most of the country of Iraq is peaceful. The violence needs to be placed in some context.
We will not back down. Strategy change guaranteed but we will not and can not leave before the Iraqi's can hold their own. It's time that we assure them of that so that those in leadership will not seek aid from those we fight.
That remains to be seen. The politicians cut off funding to the South Vietnamese and allowed the North to violate the Paris Peace Accords and invade the South without any response. Political expediency makes strange bedfellows. The more Iraq is portrayed as a mistake, that we are losing, and that a civil way is happening, the less support the public will provide.
Bush has responded to that pressure by firing Rumsfeld. Will he continue to concede to political pressures? The Baker study group has developed a momentum all of its own, similar to the 9/11 Commission, which still is issuing scorecards on its recommendations. The Dems used it as an election issue saying that one of the first things they will do is implement all of the recommendations [they have retreated somewhat from that pledege as it applies to the structure of Congressional committees] and I suspect the Baker study group will be used similarly.
The Dems now control Congress. They will set the agenda and what is investigated. Look for Congress to take the lead aided by the MSM to show that Iraq was a mistake and that huge amounts of resources are being wasted and stolen. Congress will create an even more negative portrayal of what is going on in Iraq. The pressure will become even greater to pull our troops out sooner rather than later.
I sure hope your vision is wrong.
Amazing the media blackouts of hearing this president speeches and comments. You'd think he never speaks.