Posted on 01/10/2007 7:14:05 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Wearied by war, Americans paused Wednesday night to listen to President Bush's plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq — some responding with frustration, others with renewed hope and some with outright puzzlement.
In a prime-time address to the nation, the president said he would boost the U.S. presence in Iraq to more than 150,000 troops, and said he had made a mistake by not ordering more troops there last year.
"He's still apologizing for what's going on so far and almost apologizing in advance for what's going on afterwards," said Dave Berndt, 48, an office manager from Shorewood, Wis., who watched Bush's address to the nation from Miss Katie's diner in Milwaukee.
Nearby, bartender Joe Sardino was more blunt: "I think this is a Band-Aid on a large wound."
Going head-to-head with Democrats who have called for an end to the war, Bush said an American pullback now would shatter the Iraqi government and lead to "mass killings on an unimaginable scale."
Still, the president was speaking to a nation that has in large part soured on the war, which this spring will enter its fifth year and which last month cost its 3,000th American life.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll in December put approval of Bush's handling of the war at 27 percent, a record low, and a majority of voters interviewed in exit polls during the midterm elections said they favored pulling some or all troops from Iraq.
Even among Americans who applauded Bush's decision to bolster the American military presence in Iraq, there were questions about why the reinforcements were only being sent now, nearly four years into the conflict.
"I'd love to know what took him so long to come to this realization," said Wayne Muller, who watched the speech from his home in Raleigh, N.C., and whose son, Cpl. Danny Muller, serves in Iraq's volatile Anbar province.
"We either have to get the troops in there to get the job done or bring them home," Muller said.
George Payntar, 57, a Vietnam veteran watching the speech at an American Legion post in Killeen, Texas, said he supports Bush's plan.
"I think we need to stop the terrorism, stop it there," Payntar said. "If we pull out, they'll be here. I am afraid if we pull out now, we would lose the progress we made and the Iraqi people would suffer greatly."
In Utah — a Bush electoral stronghold where a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll found less than half of state residents support his war plan — technology consultant Bart Barker said it may have been Bush's last shot at winning public support.
"I was pleased that he didn't try to be overly optimistic," said Barker, 52, of Draper. "The way he talked about deploying added troops does give me a little hope."
___
Associated Press writers Mike Baker in Raleigh, Emily Fredrix in Milwaukee, Elizabeth White in Killeen, Texas, and Brock Vergakis in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.
Anti-war protesters demonstrate in front of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007, as President Bush was making his address to the nation about his new policy dealing with the Iraq war. Bush said he will send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq to quell its near-anarchy and for the first time acknowledged he had erred by failing to order a military buildup last year. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
War-weary? Yeah thanks to the work of AP, Reuters and Co.
(barf)
And AP decides to weigh in early in an attempt to see to it that Americans don't do anything silly like support vicory!
Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D-Ill., watches President Bush's address to the nation regarding Iraq, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2007 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bush said he will send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq to quell its near-anarchy and for the first time acknowledged he had erred by failing to order a military buildup last year. 'Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me,' Bush said. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Wearied by war? WTF are they kidding? We haven't even begun to fight! It's time that the terrorists and their islamawhacko supporters are wearied by war and meetings are arranged between them and allah and those seventy-two versions of Helen Thomas!
Victory! (misspelled earlier)
Headline = Consider the source. I'm SO tired of all their crap.
Yes! Agreed. Take the gloves off and WIN!
And they select this c***sucker to give the response? A United States Senator who on the record compared our guys to the genocidal Khmer Rouge? The Dems are beyond redemption!
I have only grown weary of the stupidity and PC BS of the left of this country.
Yeah, that gas-rationing, food ration coupons, and recycled material really have me exhausted./s
I have only grown weary of the stupidity and PC BS of the left of this country.
Wow! Speech has been over for about 45 mins and they already interviewed people from across the country, got a picture of a traitor, written and published the article. Amazing!
I'm not "war weary"......I'm MAIN STREAM MEDIA CRAP weary!
War-weary Americans?? ..from what, reading the MSM propaganda, they haven't been at war.. Only the troops and their families know the real deal. Buck up Americans and support the WOT and your President or YOU REALLY WILL FEEL THE BRUNT OF WAR.
I'm not war-weary, but I am MEDIA-weary.
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