On the fourth anniversary of the Iraq War, President Bush's talking points were so eerily familiar that if he didn't mention General Petraeus by name, I'd have to wonder if he accidentally gave last year's speech.
The President can point to no more recent success than the twelve million Iraqis that voted in 2005, but he makes no mention of the nearly three million Iraqis now refugees of the ongoing violence. He talks about "further progress" on political reconciliation and economic rebuilding, while the country has descended into something worse than civil war and unemployment remains at 33%. He spoke of a tyrant held to account by "the people of Iraq," apparently forgetting that masked executioners chanting "Moktada!" looked like a sectarian death squad, a parody of blind justice. And he described the new Iraqi government as an "ally in the war on terror," but I don't think we'll see waves of Iraqi troops going to Afghanistan any time soon.
All this was par for the course from a President who continues to confuse determination with stubbornness and vision with myopia. But what really stood out for me was this:
"I'm grateful to our service men and women for all they've done, and for the honor they've brought to their uniform and their country. I'm grateful to our military families for all the sacrifices they have made for our country. We also hold in our hearts the good men and women who have given their lives in this struggle. We pray for the loved ones they have left behind."
As the Walter Reed scandal made clear, our troops, veterans, and their families need a lot more than just prayer from the Commander in Chief. Hope is not a course of action. Our veterans need a plan.
At least one-third of returning troops will face a mental health problem. They need counseling. Fifteen percent of returning Iraq veterans under the age of 24 are unemployed. They need a real G.I. Bill that will pay the cost of college. Over 200,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sought health care at a veterans' hospital. They need hospitals that are adequately funded. But instead of addressing these problems, the President offered only his "Greatest Hits" - asking the American people for patience but not a shared sacrifice, offering new packaging for the war effort but not a new plan, and giving lip service to troops and veterans but not real support.
While the President hides his head in the sand and pundits talk about the war as a political football for 2008, it's time to start talking about concrete solutions for the men and women coming home. For anyone serious about "supporting the troops," check out the 2007 IAVA Legislative Agenda, 31 actions politicians can take this year to help the troops and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the Washington Post series on Walter Reed, the Newsweek cover story on vets issues, and Bob Woodruff's incredible documentary on ABC, we've finally reached a tipping point in media coverage of the issues facing this war's veterans. But it looks like the message still hasn't gotten through in Washington. Read our Legislative Agenda and find out what you can do to make sure Congress and the President get troops and veterans the care and support they have earned.