It is President Bush whose disastrous policies created the Iraq Debacle, and it is he who has the responsibility to provide a strategy for the Iraq Debacle and the power to implement such a strategy.
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), West Point graduate and former 82nd Airborne Platoon commander, understands this, and thus asked President Bush to present a strategy for the Iraq Debacle in the Democratic Radio Address this morning:
President Bush has failed to outline an effective strategy for winning the war in Iraq, Sen. Jack Reed said Saturday in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address.
"The American people are eager to hear the president's plan for success in Iraq, rebuilding the country and bringing our troops home," Reed said. "Instead, the president continues to offer vague generalities and rhetoric with no specifics about what needs to be done."
The Rhode Island senator, saying the current course in Iraq is a mistake, called on Bush to offer a more candid appraisal of how the war-ravaged nation can be stabilized and put on a surer path to democracy.
"If the president has any hope of regaining the nation's support for operations in Iraq and justifying the growing cost in lives and taxpayer dollars ... he must be candid and honest about the current situation."
Reed, a former Army Ranger who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused the Bush Administration of assailing the patriotism of Iraq war critics.
"I have found it disturbing that the Bush administration has attacked the patriotism of those who question the administration's policies in Iraq," Reed charged. "Baseless partisan attacks won't help us win the war, won't help the troops and won't protect our nation from our enemies."
While it is very interesting to hear about Joe Lieberman's plan, and Howard Dean's plan, and John Murtha's plan and General Wesley Clark's plan, and Senator Joe Biden's plan, the ONLY plan that matters NOW is President Bush's plan.
Is it "stay the course"? More of the same? As Senator Reed says, the current Bush strategy is an abject failure. While it may be fun for us and the Media to play the political parlor game of "pin the Iraq Debacle on the donkey" - in the meantime, the critical business of the Bush failures on Iraq are ignored.
An opposition party must provide vigilant oversight to the party in power, especially now where a supine Media has abdicated its responsibilities for at least four years. Instead of playing at President, members of the Democratic Party need to do their jobs as an opposition party - until the 2006 election campaign commences, when it will be their duty to articulate an alternative to offer to the voters.
Senator Jack Reed did that today. Kudos to him.