The President's Speech -- Rabbit Season! Duck Season!

Last night’s speech by the President failed to answer the most fundamental questions Troops have about the situation in Iraq. I find it interesting that the guys handpicked to be the President’s audience were rather reserved in their response. Either this was a deliberate move by the White House (unlikely, because why would they not want troops cheering wildly?) or those men and women in the audience felt the same way I did – unsatisfied.

The first fundamental question the President failed to answer is why his view of what is happening in Iraq, and our needs there, are so different than the view of the men and women on the ground. Not only did he not address the disparity, he pointed it out as clear as day!

In one breath, the President said,

“If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job.”

First, commanders are not telling him they have enough troops.

"Because there weren't enough troops on the ground to do what you needed to do, the (insurgency) was able to get a toehold," said Maj. John Wilwerding, of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

Click Here for more from Maj. Wilwerding and a number of other officers on the need for more troops.

Leaving that aside for the moment, the President in this sentence indicates that his decision on troops levels will be a military one – determined by the brass. Then he said,

“Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever – when we are in fact working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave.”

So, wait a minute. If the commanders on the ground say they need more troops, the President won’t send them? Suddenly the decision on troop levels is not to be determined on the ground, but by political needs. But wait, let’s go back again.

“As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters – the sober judgment of our military leaders.”

Does anyone feel like the are in the middle of that Looney Tunes episode where Elmer Fudd is hunting and Daffy yells it’s “Rabbit Season” and Bugs yells it’s “Duck Season,” and they yell it back and forth until Bugs goes, “It’s rabbit season!” Daffy says, “It’s duck season and that’s the end of it!” and gets shot? I feel like the President is trying to pull the ol’ “Military Decision / Political Decision” trick here.

Secondly, the President failed to answer what success looks like, how we get there, how far along we are, and how long it will take. I disagree with the President when he says we should not have a timeline to withdraw. We need very solid goals and a very solid plan to get to that point, so that we can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel, and need a plan to get out of that tunnel safely when the time comes. That is called an “Exit Strategy.’ Troops want to know what our exit strategy is. The President didn’t utter the phrase once last night.

The President failed to even address the huge disparity between the words of his Vice President and Secretary of Defense on a general ballpark on how much fighting is probably left. The Vice President says the insurgency is in its “last throes” (implying that the situation should be stable enough to soon leave), while Donald Rumsfeld says we should be prepared for 12 years. Which is it? Troops, especially, need to know, and want to know. On this point, the President left his audience hanging.

Before the speech, I posted a list of questions the President had to answer, many of which are listed above. He didn’t adequately answer any of them, and further eroded any waning confidence I had that this administration knows how to properly execute this war. Judging from the muted reaction of the men and women there, who were supposed to be cheering wildly, their patience is wearing thin as well.

Dave Chasteen and Perry Jefferies at OpTruth also have plenty to say about the speech last night. Check it out. And tell your friends about what we have to say. That is a great way to really support the troops as we approach July 4th .