[A]bandoning Iraq is unthinkable. Those who propose
withdrawing our troops, even amid concrete signs of
progress in stabilizing Iraq, are guilty of the most
craven form of political pandering possible: They would
make Americans vulnerable to mass death merely to win
votes in the next election.
Eager For Defeat?
By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted Thursday, July 12, 2007 4:20 PM PT
Leadership: Despite intense political pressure to buckle or fold on Iraq, President Bush has stayed admirably steadfast on winning the war on terror. We only wish we could say the same for others in the nation's capital.
The progress report that the president issued Thursday on the Iraq front served notice to foes that, like the Tom Petty song says, he won't back down. It was a good refrain to hear.
"The real debate over Iraq," Bush told a White House press conference, "is between those who think the fight is lost or not worth the cost, and those who believe the fight can be won and that, as difficult as the fight is, the cost of defeat would be far higher."
It's not hard to guess which camp most members of Congress are in. Or Bush, for that matter.
All year long, both the House and Senate have tried to undercut the war effort. Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have tried to defund the war, set a timetable for withdrawal and stop the "surge" of 28,000 new troops.
Bush's update Thursday was itself a response to Congress' vote earlier this year requiring an update on 18 "benchmarks" of progress in Iraq. The final report is due in September, along with a much-awaited verbal report from Gen. David Petraeus.
Bush is no Pollyanna. He knows that "war fatigue," as he put it, has set in for the American people and their elected representatives. Yet he counsels patience. It's a tough sell.
A USA Today/Gallup poll shows more than 70% of Americans support withdrawal of most troops by next April. If that's accurate, Bush has very little support for letting the surge take effect — or even for waiting for Petraeus' report.
Bush has become philosophical about that lack of support. "I guess I'm like any other political figure," he said. "Everybody wants to be loved — just sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don't enable you to be loved."
What Bush has been, however (and contrary to the claims of his foes), is honest. From the beginning, he has said this would be a long war, that it would require sacrifice and that it wouldn't be easy. That message hasn't changed.
In this way, he's like Winston Churchill. During the dark days of the 1930s, it's easy to forget Churchill was almost alone in warning about the threat of Adolf Hitler. He did so relentlessly, and to much derision. Only later did it become clear he was right.
Once Hitler attacked, Britons united across party, ideological and class lines to defeat Germany. Today, no such unity exists. It has been torn asunder by a snarky, cynical media, by politicians keen on getting re-elected and by Americans tired of watching terror brought into their living rooms every day on their TV screens.
Depressingly, some of the war's opposition now comes from members of Bush's own party. Sens. Richard Lugar, Pete Domenici and George Voinovich, among others, have started to talk about pulling troops out of Iraq.
As icing on the cake, just hours after Bush's remarks, the House voted 223-201 to withdraw most U.S. troops by next spring. What kind of message does this send our allies — and our foes?
Apparently, Congress is hearing harsh words from constituents tired of the war. Or maybe they've read one too many polls. Whatever the case, the essence of leadership is to lead — and going backward, or counseling slow-motion surrender, isn't leadership.
Unfortunately, the relentless media opposition and political back-stabbing will embolden the terrorists that make Iraq their home. If we leave, they'll set up a permanent base there. They'll murder hundreds of thousands of people, maybe millions. They'll have billions in oil revenues to support their terrorist schemes.
As such, abandoning Iraq is unthinkable. Those who propose withdrawing our troops, even amid concrete signs of progress in stabilizing Iraq, are guilty of the most craven form of political pandering possible: They would make Americans vulnerable to mass death merely to win votes in the next election.
Our enemies are emboldened by our politicians' retreat. Recent reports, both from our intelligence agencies and from the Department of Homeland Security, suggest al-Qaida's threat remains great. The terrorists think that if they bloody our nose, we'll run.
We laud Bush for standing with a stalwart and politically brave few in Congress who keep fighting. We really have no choice. Losing isn't an option.
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