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Late last night, surfing the net, I was pondering if Bush would blow his last opportunity to do the right thing in Iraq - would he spin the surge to run out the clock on his watch or would he follow the longstanding wishes of the American public - when I ran across what I consider to be a good checklist for evaluating his grasp of reality vis-a-vis mine.
Unfortunately, I neglected to copy the address for attribution. For that I apologize - the author deserves recognition and thanks for his/her effort.
Think about these points before you watch our President tonight.
* Will he acknowledge the real, specific concerns that many Americans have with this particular war and the way it's been waged? Or will he once again belittle the public angst by ascribing it to too much carnage on TV and a general aversion to warfare?
* Will he engage and address the actual arguments voiced by critics? Or will he simply fight straw men of his own creation?
* Specifically, will he acknowledge the argument that the presence of American troops makes things worse in Iraq, rather than better?
* Will he acknowledge the message American voters sent about Iraq in November, and explain why he doesn't feel obliged to heed the public will? Will he explain why he and the public seem to have reached such different conclusions?
* Will he agree to engage in dialogue -- not just consultation -- with those who disagree with him, and possibly even in public?
* Will he be up front about the possible consequences of a failed escalation -- specifically, the cost in human lives? Will he acknowledge the human suffering?
* Will he be honest about the difference between tactics, strategy and goals, and will he explain why he seems willing to consider only a change in tactics?
* Will he be forthright about how we got here? Will he acknowledge any mistakes, beyond tactical errors that were not his fault personally? What lessons will he say he has learned? Will he take any blame for anything?
* Will he explain where the additional troops will come from? Will he call for volunteers? Will he call for anyone else to sacrifice?
* Will he say where the money will come from -- for the escalation, for the reportedly billion-dollar jobs program, or for the entire war for that matter?
* Will he say anything about how long either the escalation, or the war, will last? If he establishes benchmarks, will they be accompanied by timelines and consequences? Will there be any accountability, for either the Iraqis or the Americans? At the end of the speech, will the American military commitment appear larger but still equally open-ended?
* Will he say not just that he still believes the war in Iraq is winnable, but why he believes that, and why he discounts the evidence to the contrary?
* Will he be up front about who we're fighting and why? Will he acknowledge that the chief mission of existing and supplemental troops will be fighting well-armed rival Muslim factions?
* Will he acknowledge how the mission in Iraq has changed, from ostensibly being about weapons of mass destruction all the way to tamping down a civil war?
* Will he address the hideously botched execution of Saddam Hussein, which provided such a gripping view of the vicious sectarianism plaguing the country?
* Will he acknowledge that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has repeatedly made promises and not delivered in the past, and explain why he trusts Maliki this time?
* Will he acknowledge that Iraqi forces have never taken their share of the responsibility in Iraq, and that training has thus far been problematic?
* If he says this is a turning point, will he explain why, in contrast to all the previous turning points, he believes this one is for real?
* Will he describe how his view of the situation in Iraq has changed over time, if at all? Will he address the concern that he has been in a state of denial?
Bush faces two not entirely overlapping problems: One is that most Americans don't believe him any more; the other is that most Americans don't support his plan. Only if he can make some headway on the first problem will he ever make any on the second.
How do you think he did?
I heard the man say that final responsibility rests with him alone.
I heard the man make direct statements to the sacrifice of the soldiers & their families.
He was sure to encourage scrutiny of his plan and placed addional pressure on thse who oppose his plan to be vocal as their opposition is important to our democracy.
Sounds to me like his commision of congressmen and other leaders will give him the chance for real dialogue and not just consultation.
He definately noticed the human suffering and even preparred the country for the inevitable, more suffering.
Considering the 18 brigades of Iraqis imbedded with only 5 U.S. brigades, I'd say he understands that in some areas out presence if less appreciated than in others.
A very real reason to increase Iraqi presence in those area especially around Baghdad.
I can go on, but you saw it too.
I admit he did not cover each and every concern in the list you had but a mojor number of them were covered and in some detail. You can throw stones at him and probably will, but this was a very different Presicent Bush than we have seen before. If the plan works and the Iraqi's get up tp speed quickly and can contolr the situation, he will come out of this in mush better shape as will our reputaiton and it will help mimize the death toll amongst our soldiers because more of them will be in support positions for the Iraqi's in the feild and far less of a target for the local insurgence.
It almost became a pull back and regroup speach...5 Brigade in Baghdad and the other 18 Iraqi, it will be interesting to see how it pans out in Congress and Iraq...
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