First Gen. Petraeus, Now Gates. Bush Still In Charge

Hey folks,

Time for the article I meant to post this morning. From the Seafood Festival, to various other stops with the Family, it was a GREAT day. But I have to say this as a side note. I really have to just pick a off day here. A permanent day off for the family. They get tired of coming into the OPN office just to see me. I need to just pick an internet free day. Well, I’ll get around to it. Someday.

First was General David Petraeus, who testified that this idiotic resolution against the President and sending more troops would both demoralize the troops and give hope to the enemy. They passed it anyway. Now you have Defense Secretary Robert Gates saying the same thing.

According to this article from yesterday by the AP,

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday an effort in Congress to pass a resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup undercuts U.S. commanders in Iraq and "emboldens the enemy."

At the same time, he said the Pentagon is hoping to speed the deployment of five additional Army brigades to Baghdad to bolster security in the capital. They had been scheduled to arrive a brigade per month through May, each containing roughly 3,500 troops.

Gates' strong language, along with Bush's own forceful comments, underscored the high stakes in a congressional battle expected to start next week over proposals from both parties criticizing the president's war strategy.

I’ll get to what the President said in a second. How can anyone possibly say that they support the troops, and not the effort? They can’t. Make no mistake about it, as I’ve said before, the LWL does NOT care about the troops. They want America to lose. They are playing politics with the troops. It IS just that simple.

The new attack on the President and I’m sure will also be the troops, in a round about, disguised way, will be the fact he has ordered Iranians involved in the effort to kill us, captured or killed. Can you imagine that? Someone trying to kill you, or someone aiding someone else trying to kill you, and you are told to stop them? Say it isn’t so.

As Bush put it,

"It makes sense that if somebody's trying to harm our troops or stop us from achieving our goal or killing innocent citizens in Iraq, that we will stop them," Bush said. "It's an obligation we all have ... to protect our folks and achieve our goal."

"I know there is skepticism and pessimism and that some are condemning a plan before it's even had a chance to work," he said. "They have an obligation and a serious responsibility therefore to put up their own plan as to what would work."

STOP!! WAIT!!! Translation time for those in the LWL who need a little further help in understanding. He just said, I understand you do not like this plan. You believe, or at least keep saying, that it will not work. Fine, stop denouncing my plan, saying how wrong I am, and tell us what your plan IS. Stop saying you have a better plan. Give us the details." The LWL response? "Duh, huh?"

Then you have the USA Today saying,

WASHINGTON — President Bush today criticized some lawmakers for not giving his new Iraq plan a chance to succeed while his new defense secretary said any Congressional resolution opposing an increase in troops for Iraq "emboldens the enemy."

The Senate is expected to vote as early as next week on several bipartisan resolutions opposing Bush's plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, including one that calls the new policy "not in the national interest."

Bush, saying "I am the decision-maker," spoke to reporters at the Oval Office while meeting with senior military advisers.

"I've picked the plan that I think is most likely to succeed," Bush said.

He is the Commander and Chief. I know that they hate to remember that. I know that some in this country hate to realize that. But, I repeat, yet agin, he does not need their permission, nor does he need them to like it. The decision is his.

VIDEO: Bush asserts authority

The sooner that the new Democrat leadership realizes this, the sooner we can start to get things done.

Peter
Sources:
AP-Gates: Iraq resolution 'emboldens' enemy
USA Today- Bush: 'I am the decision-maker'