Mess with the best / Die like the rest
To be replaced by:
A little love is all you need!
That is all.
Posted on 07/08/2003 6:16:30 AM PDT by shortstop
Bring 'em on.
That's what the president said and that's what the Democrats hate.
They say it makes him sound like a cowboy, that it is too beligerent a tone, that it shows he is not the statesman America needs. That he is some hothead rube sitting in the most powerful seat in the world.
Well, they're full of crap.
He's right and they're wrong and that's all there is to it.
What am I talking about? A comment President Bush made last week at the White House. A reporter asked him about the terrible string of attacks on American servicemen in Iraq. Almost 70 of our GIs have been killed since major fighting stopped. The reporter asked if the terrorists and provocateurs doing the attacks were getting to be too much for us.
The president looked over and said that he thought we were "plenty tough enough" to handle the situation, and that his attitude was, "Bring 'em on."
Which is how we talk in America. At least in the cut-the-nonsense America that exists outside the Beltway and the network television studio. But it was a language not very agreeable to the complain-no-matter-what crowd. They -- mostly senior Democrats -- said that Uncle Bush's bravado would provoke additional attacks. The "Washington Post" in a news story, without attribution, said it was a "taunt." Kind of like challenging the school yard bully to a fight. The clear implication was that the blood was on George W. Bush's hands.
I think they are wrong. And out of touch.
I think the president's words and sentiment were perfect.
They did what a president's words are supposed to do -- speak for the country. And he did that.
He spoke for the country's people.
More importantly, he spoke for the troops -- and to the troops. As our GIs in Iraq are going through some difficult times, a word of encouragement, spoken with the confidence and resolve of a man's man, are worth their weight in gold. I honestly believe that.
And I honestly believe that the president's challenge -- "Bring 'em on." -- was welcomed with cheers in American military installations around the globe. I bet the soldiers and Marines in Iraq knew exactly what their commander-in-chief meant, and were strengthened and encouraged by his words.
I suspect that morale was substantially improved. Because that's what leadership does. It empowers people and energizes them. It helps them rise to the challenges they face. It is a wonderful thing.
And exactly what our country and our servicemen needed.
We've had a variety of phrases like that in our history. "Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead." "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." "Nuts!"
That's how we talk, that's how we feel, that's how we win.
And it's too bad the Democrats can't see that. It's too bad their desire for partisan advantage is so huge that it blots out their love of country. They based their reaction on who was talking, not on what he was saying.
Sure, sometimes he's a cowboy. But I don't think being a cowboy is a bad thing in America. I think typically it's a good and honorable thing. It's kind of what the American man is supposed to be about. And if President Bush wants to "cowboy up" every now and then, I see that as good news, not bad.
And about these claims that he's a hot head and just blurts things out, I don't believe that for a minute. Because I know people like George Bush, and sometimes I am one. And I know that if "Bring 'em on" is the strongest thing he said about the attacking terrorists, he was biting his tongue. Because there are a few other phrases that describe how the American people and the American GI feel about these attackers. And they all involve either profanity or body parts.
But Uncle Bush is the president and he doesn't swear.
But we know what he meant.
And we agree.
And our troops are going to butcher those murdering Hajis.
So, to quote a great man, bring 'em on.
Why start now? : )
Well this particular "yee-haw" woulda gone over a heckuva lot better if he had stated some plan more ambitious than "stand there in the furnaces of hell and continue to get picked off while we keep urging the Iraqis to solve this politically."
I'll admit Lonsberry goes off into left field sometimes but most of his writings are generally right on the mark and document what the majority of Freepers are thinking. I can think of a lot of blights on Rochester, but Lonsberry is not one of them.
Bring 'em on.
Brave words from a man who has never seen combat and has the luxury of being thousands of miles away from the troops defending themselves against those who might respond to the president's challenge.
And I know that if "Bring 'em on" is the strongest thing he said about the attacking terrorists, he was biting his tongue. Because there are a few other phrases that describe how the American people and the American GI feel about these attackers. And they all involve either profanity or body parts.But Uncle Bush is the president and he doesn't swear.
No, he doesn't swear....except on those occasions when he forgets that he doesn't swear:
"There's Adam Clymer, major league a**hole from the New York Times."Wait a minute--are you sure this article isn't supposed to be satirical?
Everyone in the military should just put down their weapons, leave their gear, come home, where they are safe and sound, and start a knitting group.
Mess with the best / Die like the rest
To be replaced by:
A little love is all you need!
That is all.
The general disagrees. General Tommy Franks retired yesterday. In his farewell speech he iterated the words of the president “Bring 'em on”. Franks was acknowledging the appropriateness of the remark. The words are clearly positive motivation for our troops.
CB^)
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