America Deserved More Tonight

America deserved more from President Bush tonight. It wasn't credible to hear him talk about making America more secure and honoring our troops or making America energy independence or making health care more affordable without hearing him explain why he's done the opposite for the last five years.

Democrats agree with the President when he says there is no honor in retreat. But, there's also no honor in sending our troops to battle without the armor, intelligence and planning they need to keep them safe. There's no honor in using the politics of fear to mute democratic debate after his mismanagement of the war and lack of plan for victory in Iraq put the nation at greater risk. And, there's no honor in not leveling with the American people about the situation on the ground in Iraq and failing to lay out a real plan for victory.

Democrats are unwavering in the fight against terrorism, but the Bush Administration has failed to propose real improvements to our policy in Iraq, while at the same time allowing Iran and North Korea to develop nuclear weapons. In short George Bush's policies have made us less safe and more vulnerable to terror and economic insecurity.

If America is addicted to oil, President Bush should look no farther than his own Administration under whom the price of gas and the profits of oil companies have risen to record heights. Bush has offered more false promises, while Democrats offer a real plan for Energy Independence by 2020.

Finally George Bush's healthcare policies are just more Orwellian doublespeak: instead of real solutions, he offer an attempt to cut the poor from Medicaid; instead of a Medicare Drug Benefit, a program that denies our seniors their medicine. Americans need real reform that makes healthcare less expensive and more accessible, not corporate giveaways to lobbyists, drug companies, HMOs, and special interests.