December 14, 2006
President Bush has delayed until after the new year a speech to the nation about his next step in Iraq.
The critics keep piling on. What’s taking him so long? Shouldn’t he lead and now? How can we let the current stalemate continue?
And if he announced a new course before he had confidence it would work, those same critics would say, why didn’t he take longer? What’s the rush? Would a few more weeks of contemplation and consultation have been so bad?
I’ve said it before and will again: this war isn’t about us. It’s about them – Islamofascists dedicated to conquering the world. They have to go through Israel and the United States to do it, but they’re committed. They don’t think we are and why shouldn’t they think this way given the signs they see?
This is another “leadership moment” for President Bush. He needs to reach back to try to recapture that post 9-11 spirit that put the country behind him. It may be too late for that now, but success can work miracles with public opinion. And success, not public opinion, should be the goal.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
