As a family we listened to the President's speech at West Point. Rather than be distracted by a school that my family has known so intimately for over 35 years, we wanted to just listen to the President's words.
No back-drop was needed. He could have given this speech at the White House.
The case could be made that the President's staff may have actually blown it, even in choosing the USMA building they chose. (He gave the speech in Eisenhower Hall, the largest facility available at USMA; safe and secure by the Secret Service's standards - and quite frankly, the ugliest building - due to its modern architecture).
The fundamental fact is this: President Obama NOW knows what Candidate Obama would never have wanted to know....nor believed, had he accepted President Bush's full body of information during his pre-White House days.
What is it?
The enemy wants to kill us. To destroy us and to steal all that we have as a nation. They are among us and ready to kill Americans: men, women and children. And as President, Mr. Obama HAS to do something about this Bush Doctrine reality.
So, he is increasing troop strength by 30,000 soldiers...boots on the ground.
30,000.
There are now 30,000 reasons for President Obama's supporters to rise up against him.
30,000 men and women warriors will now be added to the rolls of Americans who will have served in Afghanistan.
Today, the Afghan war became Barak Obama's war.
During his West Point speech he sought to distance his administration's actions as different from those of presidential decisions during the Viet Nam war.
He didn't succeed.
Numbers are numbers. Soldiers are soldiers. Death on foreign soil is anathema to many in his own party.
My hope is that President Obama succeeds and honorably ends this war. He may in fact do so...but he now does that at the expense of starting a whole new war within the Democratic Party.
Always remember that those who marched on President Lyndon Johnson's White House were active, liberal, citizens.
Hardly the rank and file of the Republican Party.
This time? Hmmm...let's see.
Den
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