Wed, December 21, 2005

I just finished reading a transcript of President Bush's Oval Office address on the subject of Iraq from Sunday night. (Typical me, I had no idea this was even on until my sarcastic partisan blogs started sniping about it this week.)

It was actually a moving and thoughtful speech, which would be very meaningful if people listened to his words rather than parsing them for political points. I don't think he came across as "contrite" as some journalists have said; I think at this point, if anyone in his administration acknowledges a differing viewpoint, we're trained to see it as some huge admission of fault. It's great that he understands things aren't going well over there. (I guess he watches CNN after all, just not the first two days after Katrina.) I just don't think admitting the obvious is the same as apologizing. (Also, he referred to himself as the president or "Mr. President" a number of times – I think he's trying to remind us who's in charge.)

I happen to agree with Mr. President that it doesn't make sense to create an arbitrary timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. They should be home, as soon as possible, but their sacrifice would be pointless if we left Iraq so quickly that the terrorist element could simply take it over again. Every action at this point must be evaluated on two scores: will it help secure a lasting democracy in Iraq, and will it bring our troops home quickly and safely?

Under the guise of "coming clean" with the American people, Bush explained the criticisms of his detractors (in his own words): that the continuing carnage in Iraq means we are losing, and we should leave. Maybe some are saying this, but it sounds to me like a convenient straw man. I interpret that carnage to mean that our original strategy has not been as successful as hoped, and the strategy should be adapted. In broad strokes, I haven't seen the president change his plan or come up with new ideas that might achieve victory sooner and with fewer lives lost. We all want the troops home as quickly and safely as possible, but only the most vituperative partisan hack would argue that they should be pulled out immediately, without regard for completing the mission they were so woefully sent in to undertake.

And also, because they'd take my onebee away from me if I spent too many words agreeing with the president without taking a cheap shot, let's parse a few words for political points:

It is also important for every American to understand the consequences of pulling out of Iraq before our work is done. We would abandon our Iraqi friends – and signal to the world that America cannot be trusted to keep its word.

In other words, it wouldn't pass "the global test." What a smug prick.