House Editorial: Beating around the Bush

Posted on September 10, 2007

Even though Bush’s popularity has plummeted since Americans began to see the way the Bush administration mishandled situations in Iraq, Bush stood firm on his foreign policies regarding the Middle East and even ordered a troop surge several months ago. Now, he’s taking back his previous policies and has finally agreed to consider a troop withdrawal.

Congress is rife with animosity as Democrats and Republicans alike quarrel over how many troops should stay in Iraq and when troops should leave. Bush’s numerous advisers have been pushing the idea into Bush’s head that the same amount of efficiency could exist, even with a smaller troop number. Surprisingly, Bush’s closest Republican supporters in the White House are even considering the suggestion.

In a Washington Post article, Leon E. Panetta, a member of the Iraq Study Group, said that Bush’s hesitance in withdrawing troops has been whether or not he’s “feeling comfortable that he’s winning and can begin a process of pulling back. I think he knows what he wants to do, but he has to feel comfortable that he got there ‘my way.’”

Well America, let’s just step aside and let Bush have some breathing room, so he can be a big boy and make possibly the biggest decision of his presidential career. Officials and Iraq advisers can’t hold Bush’s hand anymore, and he needs to take the first baby steps in recovering from his all-time low presidential popularity.

The Post article hints that Bush doesn’t want to pass down the monstrosity that has become the Iraq war to the next president.

Bush’s days in office are numbered, and we must congratulate him on not passing the baton on the disaster that has become the Iraq situation. It would be much better for his legacy to be the president who ended the war in Iraq and not the fool who started it.

A State of the Union address as well as an Iraq progress report is expected sometime this week, according to administration officials.

Finally, Bush is stepping up to his daunting duty as commander in chief and making a progressive and effective decision about what should happen in Iraq.