By John W. Lillpop
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have decided to show their fangs to President Bush by writing a letter urging him to reject the “troop surge” strategy.
That letter said, in part:
“ Our troops and the American people have already sacrificed a great deal for the future of Iraq. After nearly four years of combat, tens of thousands of U.S. casualties, and over $300 billion dollars, it is time to bring the war to a close.
"We, therefore, strongly encourage you to reject any plans that call for our getting our troops any deeper into Iraq. We want to do everything we can to help Iraq succeed in the future but, like many of our senior military leaders, we do not believe that adding more U.S. combat troops contributes to success.
We appreciate you taking these views into consideration.
Sincerely, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Speaker Nancy Pelosi"
The following is a proposed reply to the Pelosi-Reid missive.
From the White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi,
We have reviewed your written recommendations concerning the situation in Iraq.
At the outset, let me say that your statement “Our troops and the American people have already sacrificed a great deal for the future of Iraq” is simply not factual.
Not a single drop of blood or dime of U.S. treasury has been sacrificed for the future of Iraq.
In fact, all of the American sacrifices in Iraq and Afghanistan have been made for a very narrow and selfish purpose: To advance the interests and future of America and its people.
I have repeatedly advised the American people that fighting the war on terror in Baghdad is much preferable to fighting that war on the streets of Chicago, New York City, or San Francisco. I stand by that statement.
Simply pretending that the conflict in Iraq is unrelated to the war on terror will not make it so.
Later in your letter, you state, “We want to do everything we can to help Iraq succeed in the future but, like many of our senior military leaders, we do not believe that adding more U.S. combat troops contributes to success.”
To this I say: The greatest help you can provide is by understanding that there are terrorists in Iraq, and throughout the world, who given the chance, would gladly kill every man, woman, and child in America.
These are evil people who have no respect for human life, including their own. We are not engaged in the war on terror by choice—war was declared on America on September 11, 2001, and has raged on ever since.
By understanding the true nature of the enemy instead of pretending that there is no threat, both of you can join with me in fighting this war as it should be fought: To win!
Losing the war on terror is not an option—we cannot simply walk away and leave the future of your children and mine to terrorists.
As to the “senior military leaders” you refer to, let me remind you that I in constant communication with all of our military leaders, and am very aware of their positions.
Let me also remind you that I am the commander-in-chief of this great nation, and it is my responsibility to protect and defend the American people.
Clearly, I can not fulfill that constitutional responsibility by executing a “cut and run” strategy.
I appreciate your input and encourage you to set aside partisan differences and work hand in hand with me and my administration so that we can win the war on terror, as we must.
God Bless America,
President Bush
John Lillpop is a recovering liberal, "clean and sober" since 1992 when last he voted for a Democrat. Pray for John: He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where people like Nancy Pelosi are considered reasonable!
