What Bush Should Say
John LeBoutillier
Monday, May 24, 2004
Here is what the President should do tonight - if he wants to not only do the right thing in Iraq but also to help our country. And it might also help him revive his sagging campaign, too.
"My fellow Americans, I am smart enough to know when I am wrong about something. I was - and am - wrong about the desire of the Iraqi people to have our troops rebuild their country for them.
"Clearly, we have done a wonderful job removing Saddam's blood-thirsty and corrupt regime. But it is time to let Iraqis - and other Arabs and Muslims - rebuild Iraq. We have done our job there - and very, very well. But it is time for others to take the burden - and time for us to come home.
"Therefore, with the help of the U.N. and NATO, over the next 3 months we are going to replace our troops with Muslim troops from Jordan, Egypt, the Gulf States and Indonesia.
"Perhaps the Iraqi people will feel less offended by having their brethren provide security leading up to the creation of an Iraqi military and, of course, a democratically elected government.
"We should all feel proud of the effort by our troops in Iraq. Whatever mistakes have been made were not their fault; they were mine - and mine alone. It is time in this country that the boss - in every line of work - accept responsibility for mistakes made. And I do.
"The important thing here is that we set out to make the world a safer place by removing Saddam and his deadly henchmen. We succeeded.
"It is time to let the Muslim world police itself - with the knowledge that in the future we will not sit by whenever a tyrant threatens us or his neighbors. We - the international community - will act to prevent future Saddams from destabilizing the region and the world.
"American has always stood for freedom and liberty. We have given it to the Iraqis; now let us see if they can grow it and develop a modern, 21st century democracy."
If President Bush made an announcement along these lines, he would be boosted in the polls by 10 points over night.
Admitting mistakes sells well in this country at a time when bosses always blame their subordinates for everything and live in a total state of denial.
The President would look honest and open and forthright. Who could attack that?
And getting out of Iraq is a necessity if Bush wants to win in November.
