Bush's Pep Talk

Andrew Sullivan, who has been a supporter of the Iraq war from the beginning, thinks it was good that the President reiterated his resolve last night, because in a war resolve is a big deal and popular support is critical. Sullivan goes on to say he thought Bush's attempt to explain how we were going to prevail was weak to non-existent.

I have been against the war from the start but now believe we must find some way to at least stabilize Iraq, if we can, or we will have left ourselves in a much more vulnerable position than when we began. The military side of that seems to me to include sealing the Syrian border, which we have been reluctant to do for reasons yet to be explained. And the political side, even tougher, has to do with appearing much more willing than we have so far to let the Iraqis sort out their own political and religious issues.

Unlike Viet Nam, which we could leave and lick our wounds here at home, our Iraq adventure appears to have given new impetus to Islamic rage and recruitment of terrorists.

The worst nightmare is that this really is a quagmire, that Bush and his people have no plan other than more force to achieve something before we leave. I found last night's speech frightening because the monotone voice in which Bush read his speech, stumbling over words, halting at odd points, without significant new ideas, left me with the impression of a desperate lost man.