Picture this: the Democratic Presidential candidates at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province
Revised on Tuesday at 12:25 pm
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All in all, should the Democratic Presidential candidates visit the troops at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province? Absolutely...the American public is entitled to know how these folks would handle it-- before, rather than after the election.
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President Bush, making his third visit to the troops in Iraq since the War began more than four years ago, spoke yesterday to cheering and enthusiastic soldiers at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province, delivering a message quite different from what the ”would be Democratic Commanders-in-Chief” are saying on the Presidential Campaign trail. Quite different from what Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is saying about the War already “being lost.” Quite different from Speaker Pelosi’s efforts to stop the funding of the War.
You see Sunnis who once fought side by side with al Qaeda against coalition troops now fighting side by side with coalition troops against al Qaeda. Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq. (Hooah roar of approval from the troops.) Because of your hard work, because of your bravery and sacrifice, you are denying al Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America. What you're doing here is making this country safer, and I thank you for your hard work. (Hooah roar of approval from the troops.)
The surge of operations that began in June is improving security throughout Iraq. The military successes are paving the way for the political reconciliation and economic progress the Iraqis need to transform their country. When Iraqis feel safe in their own homes and neighborhoods, they can focus their efforts on building a stable, civil society with functioning government structures at the local and provincial and national levels. And that's important, because a free Iraq, an Iraq that's an ally against these extremists and murderers will be a major defeat for the terrorists. [See www.whitehouse.gov for the full transcript of the President's remarks].
Perhaps the rapport between the President and the troops that would be apparent to anyone watching, on C-Span yesterday, the seven minute speech and aftermath of the President plunging into the crowd, shaking hands and posing for pictures with the troops was all orchestrated by the White House, but that would seem hard to do without the traveling press learning of it and hammering the President for it.
No, the President may be at a 36% approval rating across the country [which, BTW, is twice that of Congress), but in front of this military group, his approval is probably double that, if not higher. These troops believe in their mission, the counter insurgency that General Petraeus has led since early this year, and they believe in their General (with a Ph. D. in political science from Princeton) and in their Commander-in-Chief. These troops are very much a part of President Bush’s base.
It would be interesting to have Clinton, Obama and Edwards stop by the Al-Asad airbase and talk to the soldiers about the Democrats’ plans to remove most, if not all, of the American troops from Iraq by April 1, 2008. It would also be interesting to see the reaction of the troops to (A) Obama bragging that he would never have authorized the President to take military action in Iraq in 2003, (B) Edwards apologizing for his vote authorizing the President to act and (C) Hillary shouting out her famous line that if she knew then what she knows now, i.e., the President would abuse the authority she gave him, she would never have authorized the President to take military action in Iraq.
How big would the applause line for Hillary, Barack and Edwards be from the U. S. troops in al-Anbar Province? You could hear a pin drop. That left- wing anti-war stuff about supporting the troops by taking away their arms may play well in the Democratic Primary, but with the troops themselves? Not so much.
And, what would the traveling press from ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN and PBS report? I think we know.
And how would Fox handle it? I think we know.
All in all, should the Democratic Presidential candidates visit the troops at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province? Absolutely, an idea whose time has come. Instead of the favorite phrase of anti-war protestors, "Bringing the War home," this would be "Bringing the would be Commanders-in-Chief to the War." The American public is entitled to know how these folks would handle it-- before, rather than after the election.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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All in all, should the Democratic Presidential candidates visit the troops at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province? Absolutely...the American public is entitled to know how these folks would handle it-- before, rather than after the election.
****************************************
President Bush, making his third visit to the troops in Iraq since the War began more than four years ago, spoke yesterday to cheering and enthusiastic soldiers at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province, delivering a message quite different from what the ”would be Democratic Commanders-in-Chief” are saying on the Presidential Campaign trail. Quite different from what Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is saying about the War already “being lost.” Quite different from Speaker Pelosi’s efforts to stop the funding of the War.
You see Sunnis who once fought side by side with al Qaeda against coalition troops now fighting side by side with coalition troops against al Qaeda. Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq. (Hooah roar of approval from the troops.) Because of your hard work, because of your bravery and sacrifice, you are denying al Qaeda a safe haven from which to plot and plan and carry out attacks against the United States of America. What you're doing here is making this country safer, and I thank you for your hard work. (Hooah roar of approval from the troops.)
The surge of operations that began in June is improving security throughout Iraq. The military successes are paving the way for the political reconciliation and economic progress the Iraqis need to transform their country. When Iraqis feel safe in their own homes and neighborhoods, they can focus their efforts on building a stable, civil society with functioning government structures at the local and provincial and national levels. And that's important, because a free Iraq, an Iraq that's an ally against these extremists and murderers will be a major defeat for the terrorists. [See www.whitehouse.gov for the full transcript of the President's remarks].
Perhaps the rapport between the President and the troops that would be apparent to anyone watching, on C-Span yesterday, the seven minute speech and aftermath of the President plunging into the crowd, shaking hands and posing for pictures with the troops was all orchestrated by the White House, but that would seem hard to do without the traveling press learning of it and hammering the President for it.
No, the President may be at a 36% approval rating across the country [which, BTW, is twice that of Congress), but in front of this military group, his approval is probably double that, if not higher. These troops believe in their mission, the counter insurgency that General Petraeus has led since early this year, and they believe in their General (with a Ph. D. in political science from Princeton) and in their Commander-in-Chief. These troops are very much a part of President Bush’s base.
It would be interesting to have Clinton, Obama and Edwards stop by the Al-Asad airbase and talk to the soldiers about the Democrats’ plans to remove most, if not all, of the American troops from Iraq by April 1, 2008. It would also be interesting to see the reaction of the troops to (A) Obama bragging that he would never have authorized the President to take military action in Iraq in 2003, (B) Edwards apologizing for his vote authorizing the President to act and (C) Hillary shouting out her famous line that if she knew then what she knows now, i.e., the President would abuse the authority she gave him, she would never have authorized the President to take military action in Iraq.
How big would the applause line for Hillary, Barack and Edwards be from the U. S. troops in al-Anbar Province? You could hear a pin drop. That left- wing anti-war stuff about supporting the troops by taking away their arms may play well in the Democratic Primary, but with the troops themselves? Not so much.
And, what would the traveling press from ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN and PBS report? I think we know.
And how would Fox handle it? I think we know.
All in all, should the Democratic Presidential candidates visit the troops at Al-Asad Airbase in Al-Anbar province? Absolutely, an idea whose time has come. Instead of the favorite phrase of anti-war protestors, "Bringing the War home," this would be "Bringing the would be Commanders-in-Chief to the War." The American public is entitled to know how these folks would handle it-- before, rather than after the election.
******************************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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