Columnist Robert Novak reports of widespread opposition in top GOP circles to President George Bush’s impending announcement of a troop “surge” — a word used with the same intent as when the words “pre-owned cars” are used instead of “used cars.”
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has gone public with criticism of President Bush’s Iraq policy, is caustic in private about the proposed ”surge” of 30,000 additional U.S. troops.Powell noted that the recent congressional delegation to Iraq headed by Sen. John McCain heard from combat officers that they wanted more troops.
”The colonels will always say they need more troops,” the retired general says. ”That’s why we have generals.”
A footnote: Senior Republican senators are trying to get word to the president that any troop surge would be dead on arrival in Congress.
One of the biggest underlying debates here is the idea of what “leadership” means.
Does it mean looking at all sides, then weighing pluses and minuses (in this case war needs, the national interest, the likely outcome of a given course of action or inaction)? Does it mean trying to have policies that enjoy the support of a coalition of American voters and legislators? Or does it mean setting a course you firmly believe is the correct one, even if the public and legislators don’t agree?
Once upon a time politicos wrapped themselves in the American flag, suggesting they were more patriotic than their opponents. In the past 40 years many politicians who were behind in the polls or lacked support have likened themselves to President Harry Truman. But Truman never made policy in such a seeming vacuum — where there seems to be such a lack of across-the-boards support. Bush’s announcement will likely be criticized by many but it’ll be hard to paint it as all coming from Democrats — unless Colin Powell and Oliver North have suddenly changed political parties. The only saving grace for Bush: Powell and North have already retired.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.