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Bush accuses some Democrats of surrender on Iraq
Speaking just over four months before an election in which Democrats hope to wrest control of Congress from Bush's Republicans, the president took a swipe at those Democrats who are pushing for a timetable for troop withdrawal. Increasing public disapproval of the Iraq war, in which over 2,500 U.S. military personnel have died, has contributed to low popularity ratings for Bush. "We will complete the mission and I will make my judgments as to the troop levels necessary to achieve victory, not based upon political polls or focus groups, but based upon the measured judgment of our commanders on the ground," Bush said at a fund-raiser for Republican Sen. Jim Talent of Missouri. "Make no mistake about it, there is a group in the opposition party who are willing to retreat before the mission is done," Bush said. "They are willing to wave the white flag of surrender and if they succeed the United States will be worse off, and the world will be worse off." Bush vowed to "defeat the enemy," and said the United States had a plan for victory. "We've got a plan to succeed, a plan for victory, a plan that will enable a new ally in the war on terror to govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself," he said. "The stakes are vital." Bush said he wanted senators like Talent, who understood that "retreat is not an option" for the United States, to be in Washington. Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, has drafted a plan for withdrawing American troops, among other options. Democrats seized on that earlier this week to criticize Republicans for accusing them of wanting to "cut and run" in Iraq while the military was drawing up proposals for troop reductions. Posted by: lotp 2006-06-28 |
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