The critics are also saying Bush has changed his tune on the cost of the war and the requirements for sacrifice. Nonsense. You just can't satisfy the critics. They pilloried Bush when he refused to predict the "unknowable," and now that he has made an educated estimate of $87 billion based on our recent experience, they excoriate him for spending too much.
Nor is the president changing his tune about the desirability of United Nations' participation. From day one he has been falsely accused of unilateralism because he didn't get the final blessing of the United Nations or other nations. But the fact is, he tried – repeatedly. The U.N. refused, despite Saddam's repeated violations of its resolutions.
That the U.N. chose to side with tyranny over liberation is a reason for it to apologize, not the United States or President Bush. Bush's decision to go forward despite the inexcusable intransigence of the U.N. and our so-called allies in Europe does not mean he's a unilateralist, but a leader who places the best interests of America over our international popularity.
Besides, the idea of requesting U.N. participation in the postwar effort is nothing new. The administration has talked about that from the outset. We are not asking it to do the dirty work, just to support our humanitarian efforts to procure sovereignty and peace for the Iraqi people. Isn't that the very thing the United Nations is supposed to do?
Why aren't our critics focusing their vitriol on the shameful United Nations? Answer: because that would make Bush look good.
Finally, Bush has nothing to apologize for with respect to the lack of proper postwar planning, if by that it is meant that we should have been able specifically to foresee all of the desperate acts of sabotage by terrorists to disrupt the new regime. No one – not even the omniscient Bush-haters – can predict the unpredictable.
We all realize that it's campaign season, but surely some things are more important than partisan politics. Isn't it time for Democrats and the mainstream media to quit undermining president Bush and get on board in this war on terror?