Newsbusters has an excerpt and a video up of Stephanopoulos’s interview with Bush. There is quite some criticism coming from the Right regarding ABC’s ‘summary’ of what Bush said regarding Iraq-Vietnam: “Bush Accepts Iraq-Vietnam Comparison” reads the headline of the article about this at ABCNews.
However, that is not what I found to be the most interesting part of it all. From the exchange:
George Stephanopoulos: “You’ve used some pretty tough rhetoric. You said this election is ‘a choice between Republicans and Democrats who want to wave the white flag of surrender in the war on terror.’ Can you name a Democrat who wants to ‘wave the white flag of surrender’?â€?
President George W. Bush, referring to Senator John Kerry: “I can name a Democrat who said there ought to be a date certain from which to withdraw from Iraq, whether or not we’ve achieved a victory or not-â€?
Stephanopoulos: “That’s surrender?â€?
Bush: “Yeah it is, if you pull the troops out before the job is done. Absolutely George.�
Stephanopoulos: “So you don’t think that’s questioning their patriotism when you say that?â€?
Bush: “No, I know it’s not questioning their patriotism. I think it’s questioning their judgment.”
George Stephanopoulos can question Bush all he wants on this issue, but 1+1 is and will always be 2. Setting a date to withdraw, withdraw if victory has not been achieved… that is surrender. There is no other way of saying it. Well, there are of course other ways of saying it, but that does not make Bush’s words any less true.
That being said, Bush links it to the entire war on terrorism which is of course inaccurate: it is about Iraq, not about the entire war on terrorism. So, when people criticize Bush in that regard, they are right.
Back to Iraq, yes, Senator John Kerry is calling on Bush to surrender. He does not use these exact words, but it is the absolute result of his plans regarding Iraq.
And to those who believe that the war in Iraq is lost as it is and that, therefore, withdrawal is necessary / the only logical thing to do, I would say: just say it like that, admit that you believe that the war is lost and stop acting as if you are not calling for surrender when, in fact, you are calling for it.
Now, this does not mean that those calling for an immediate withdrawal, or at least a withdrawal ‘before the job is done’ as Bush likes to say, are lacking a sense of ‘patriotism’ or, whatever, it could – for instance – simply mean that they believe that this particular battle has been lost. That does not mean that they want to ‘surrender’ in the entire war on terrorism, but only in this particular battle and / or that they – for instance – believe that the battle should be fought in a different manner.
PAST CONTRIBUTOR.