Last night, President Bush held his first prime time press conference since the Iraqi war started little over a year ago. I was disappointed, to say the least, with Bush's performance. I was hopeful that this would be an opportunity for Bush to reaffirm our committment to the nation-building efforts in Iraq, to express to the American people that the road ahead would indeed be long and painful, but was undoubtedly right and to provide a sense of strength and resolve about the Iraqi war through his words and demeanor -- to be, in a word, presidential. Bush did none of this. He looked no more polished in this press conference than he did during the election of 2000.
Though he began with a confident, 17-minute overview of the situation in Iraq, he seemed out of sorts at times as he searched for words to answer often hostile questions and sometimes lapsed into awkward pauses. Of the U.S. presence in Iraq, he said: "They're not happy they're occupied. I wouldn't be happy if I were occupied, either."When one questioner asked about his biggest mistake since the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush shook his head twice as he searched for an answer.
"I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet," Bush said. "I would've gone into Afghanistan the way we went into Afghanistan. Even knowing what I know today about the stockpiles of weapons, I still would've called upon the world to deal with Saddam Hussein."
These are not the words that I want to hear from my president as America is engaged in a bloddy, costly, lengthy and divisive war. Words are important. Oratory is important. Bush had an opportunity last night to show the world that America stands tall in the face of strong oppossition, both foreign and domestic. I yearned to hear that our resolve is not merely a corollary to our overwhelming military might, but because we toil toward a righteous goal. Bush could have made that argument last night. He chose not to. Perhaps because it is an argument that takes tremendous poltical courage to make -- courage this administration seems to lack.
The president turned animated when asked whether the Iraq war would be worthwhile even if he was not reelected. He replied: "I don't plan on losing my job. I plan on telling the American people that I've got a plan to win the war on terror. And I believe they'll stay with me. They understand the stakes. Look, nobody likes to see dead people on their television screens. I don't. It's a tough time for the American people to see that. It's gut-wrenching."
This final passage bothers me most of all. How refreshing would it have been for Bush to say something along the lines that this Iraqi war is bigger than reelection? That the goals of instilling democracy in the hopes that it can help bring stability to such a volatile region is larger than the goal of any one American politician. A risky political statement? Maybe. But it would be the words of a president and not merely a leader of a political party.
Bush's performance last night belies the one nagging problem I have with this administration -- that all goals are political, that every action of this administration is calculated for every possible poltical benefit. In short, that the number one objective of the Bush White House is to ensure that Bush stays in the White House. That's no way to run a presidency or a foreign policy. And it's certainly no way to run a country.
I'm not so naive as to think that this mode of opperations is by any means new to the White House, but as we face a dangerous and uncertain future -- as the threat of terrorism is real and immediate -- I am demanding more from my president and my government.
Tony
*me.
