Bush adding 21,500 troops to Iraq force - LIVE thread- speech 9pm EST

Unswayed by anti-war passions, President Bush will send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq and build the American presence there toward its highest level to quell worsening bloodshed. The move puts Bush on a collision course with the new Democratic Congress and runs counter to advice from some senior generals.

Set to announce his decisions in a prime-time speech Wednesday night, Bush was to acknowledge making major mistakes in Iraq, primarily failing to deploy enough U.S. soldiers and demand more Iraqi troops and cooperation to confront the country's near-anarchy.

In advance of Bush's address, White House counselor Dan Bartlett said U.S. military operations have been "handcuffed by political interference by Iraqi leadership" — but now will proceed under rules allowing troops to confront Shiite militias as well as Sunni insurgents.

The new Democratic leaders of Congress met with Bush and complained afterward that their opposition to a buildup had been ignored. "This is the third time we are going down this path. Two times this has not worked," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Why are they doing this now? That question remains."

Senate and House Democrats are arranging votes urging the president not to send more troops. While lacking the force of law, the measures would compel Republicans to go on record as either bucking the president or supporting an escalation.

[I just posted the following at the DOSE -- now I'm off to care for my two sick kids and listen to my President!]

As our visionary, LEADER-in-Chief speaks tonight, just remember the following key points:

THE PRESIDENT: AN APPRECIATION
By Jeffrey Lord

So with the new year upon us and already filled with the chorus of modern day Copperheads doing their best to undermine America's will in the midst of a life and death struggle not only for Iraqis but the rest of us, it is decidedly to George W. Bush's credit that he has the courage that Bobby Kennedy spoke of so often as RFK quoted Shaw.

GEORGE BUSH HAS THE COURAGE TO DREAM OF A GOOD AND DECENT SOMETHING THAT NEVER WAS -- A FREE AND DEMOCRATIC MIDDLE EAST -- AND TO STAKE HIS PRESIDENCY ON THE HARD AND YES, IMPREFECT WORK, OF SAYING "WHY NOT"?

THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. PRESIDENT.

AS WITH LINCOLN, THERE IS A WORD FOR YOUR BEHAVIOR. THE WORD IS LEADERSHIP.

You can read the entire commentary at
http://spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10855

FACING IRAN:
ARABS SEE NO CHOICE BUT TO PREP FOR WAR
By Amir Taheri

One reason for Tehran's "increasing cockiness" is Ahmadinejad's success in convincing the Khomeinist leadership that the United States is in "strategic retreat."

"The American Great Satan is wounded and bleeding," says Hassan Abbasi, Ahmadinejad's strategic advisor." BUSH IS THE LAST US PRESIDENT TO MAKE A STAND. And he, too, is weakened by the victory of his enemies [in recent U.S. elections]."

Abbasi believes that the Islamic Republic should adopt "pre-emptive discouragement" to break the will of the American leaders that will succeed Bush. "IF WE BREAK BUSH, NO OTHER AMERICAN LEADER WOULD HAVE THE HEART TO DEFY ISLAM," he says.

You can read the entire article at
http://www.nypost.com/seven/01102007/postopinion/opedcolumnists/facing_iran_opedcolumnists_amir_taheri.htm?page=1

REMEMBER: Speech or no speech, America's enemies (foreign and domestic) will still hate the President; however, the President's stalwart supporters -- this country's patriots -- will continue to stand with him!!

RASMUSSEN
Today's JA rating: 44%
[. . . add another 6 points to compensate for Rasmussen's 7-point oversampling of Democrats and the President's JA rating stands at 50% among adults . . . Bottomline: The President retains the support of his base!!]
http://rasmussenreports.com/Bush_Job_Approval.htm

Unscientific on-line polls:
LAURA INGRAHAM: 83% support 'surge'
BILL O'REILLY: 70% support 'surge'

IGNORE THE MSM POST-SPEECH POLLS . . . Predictably, the MSM pollsters will use their push polls to advance a pro-Democrat, anti-military, anti-victory, anti-Bush agenda!!!

. . . onward to VICTORY!

All I saw was this... general:

“Finally, bipartisanship must include Iraq and the war on terror. Protecting the American people is our first responsibility. We all want the troops home as soon as possible, but our military strategy in Iraq must be based on clear national security considerations. We owe it to all Americans to establish a strategy for victory, and to support it—with one voice.”

http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&rid=237280

The added U.S. troops are also expected to be linked to a requirement that the Baghdad government commit more money toward reconstruction and send more of its own troops into the fight, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said yesterday. Cornyn, a Bush loyalist who recently met with the president to discuss Iraq, said he believes these conditions were suggested by the Iraqi government.

http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=17692890&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6

Bush is expected to link the troop increase to promised steps by the Iraqi government to build up its own military, ease the country's murderous sectarian tensions, increase reconstruction and enact a plan to distribute oil revenues among the country's religious sects.

Texas Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, who were among 30 senators who received a preliminary briefing on Bush's Iraq plan earlier this week, have both indicated they plan to be supportive.

"When he comes out with his plan, I think we have to give it a chance to work," Hutchison said Tuesday at a round-table interview with Texas reporters. Cornyn said that Iraq will become "a failed state" and a "launching pad" for terrorists if the United States and its allies withdraw.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/16425900.htm

Welcome to you all.

Senator Cornyn, do you support the broad outlines of what's been reported to be this proposal, sending roughly 20,000 additional troops to Iraq?

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), Texas: Well, the most significant thing about the proposal that I heard was that it really represents an Iraqi surge, with additional American and coalition forces to support them.

So that, in addition to clearing some of the most worrisome trouble spots in Baghdad, we can actually hold them, rather than relinquish them to sectarian violence or to al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations. That's something we haven't been able to do because we simply haven't had enough forces there on the ground to hold areas we've actually cleared to allow the political process to move forward.

(Non bonus, Heather Wilson on the transcript as well as Lieberman and others... PBS warning 12/08)
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/jan-june07/troops_01-08.html

Text of the speech, per Drudge:

EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY: ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION
	Posted by RWR8189 On 01/10/2007 7:39:15 PM CST Drudge Report ^ \| January 10, 2007 [As Prepared for Delivery] Good evening. Tonight in Iraq, the Armed Forces of the United States are engaged in a struggle that will determine the direction of the global war on terror – and our safety here at home. The new strategy I outline tonight will change America’s course in Iraq, and help us succeed in the fight against terror. When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqis had cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. The elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these elections would bring the Iraqis...

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