President Bush and the administration stepped up their efforts to “hit back” at critics in the last few days. Yesterday, the President, now in South Korea, and Vice President Cheney, responded to charges that they manipulated intelligence and mislead the American people, with regard to the Iraq war. For some of you who may not remember, the Phalanx, has never been a big fan of the war in Iraq, frankly we see the strategic importance of the region tied to oil and we have a problem with our dependence on commodities that originate in a hot bed of murder, terror and despotism.

Nonetheless, the president’s arguments in the run up to the war were fairly accurate and Democratic charges are baseless at best, and calculated ploys to undermine this country at worst. Over the past several months, Bush and the GOP have seen their poll numbers continue to decline has the Dems have hammered them constantly and continuously over the war in Iraq, meanwhile the president has done nothing, said nothing and perhaps doesn’t even care. We have derided the president for his timid response and his unwillingness to confront his opponents with the obvious facts. Now it appears the president has decided he no longer wants to be a lame duck and seems willing to take a more aggressive stance in defending his position.

While in Korea yesterday, the president lashed out at his critics. Why does the president wait until he’s out of the country to respond? "What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics. That's exactly what is taking place in America," the president noted. What kind of response is that? This is the type of ambiguous, empty mouthed response that does nothing to change minds. Dick Cheney, also speaking yesterday said charges of misleading the public was "one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever made in this city." Here again another tepid, meaningless response.

For the life of us, we can’t figure this administration out. It was clear that Saddam had biological and chemical weapons and possessed a nuclear weapons program. This was admitted by Saddam, the UN, and prominent Democrats, including Clinton, during the Clinton presidency and after. Evidence of such programs were also found in Iraq after the war, yet Bush stays silent on this and refuses to point out the hypocrisy of the American left. Saddam had clearly established links with terror organization, this too the administration has been silent on, not to mention the massive level of genocide committed under the old Iraqi regime. This is what the administration should be saying and not just while visiting Korea, but everyday, on the news on the radio in the paper, at bill signings, while greeting foreign heads of state. He should remind the American people of the facts. But all the administration can say is the charges are “dishonest.” And where are the sheepish GOP members of Congress, when do they plan to open their mouths? They too should remind this country of the inescapable truth or it will be hello socialist majority in Congress. Perhaps if Bush is unwilling to stand for his positions then perhaps he deserves his lame duck status…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1644774,00.html
http://usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-11-16-bush-strategy_x.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4444584.stm