Our Resolve Must Not Pass

In his Saturday radio address, President Bush talked about terrorism, the war in Iraq, and the future.

PRESIDENT BUSH: We went to war because we were attacked, and we are at war today because there are still people out there who want to harm our country and hurt our citizens. Some may disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the war on terror. These foreign terrorists violently oppose the rise of a free and democratic Iraq, because they know that when we replace despair and hatred with liberty and hope, they lose their recruiting grounds for terror.

Our troops are fighting these terrorists in Iraq so you will not have to face them here at home. We mourn every one of these brave men and women who have given his or her life for our liberty. The terrorists know they cannot defeat our troops, so they seek to weaken our nation's resolve. They know there is no room for them in a free and democratic Middle East, so the terrorists and insurgents are trying to get us to retreat. Their goal is to get us to leave before Iraqis have had a chance to show the region what a government that is elected and truly accountable to its citizens can do for its people.

Time and again, the Iraqi people have defied the skeptics who claim they are not up to the job of building a free society. Nearly a year ago, Iraqis showed they were ready to resume sovereignty. A few months ago, Iraqis showed they could hold free elections. This week, Iraqis have worked on an agreement to expand their constitutional drafting committee to ensure that all communities are represented in the process. I am confident that Iraqis will continue to defy the skeptics as they build a new Iraq that represents the diversity of their nation and assumes greater responsibility for their own security. And when they do, our troops can come home with the honor they have earned.

This mission isn't easy, and it will not be accomplished overnight. We're fighting a ruthless enemy that relishes the killing of innocent men, women, and children. By making their stand in Iraq, the terrorists have made Iraq a vital test for the future security of our country and the free world. We will settle for nothing less than victory.

I'll continue to act to keep our people safe from harm and our future bright. Together we will do what Americans have always done: build a better and more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren.

In the face of falling poll numbers and dwindling support for the war by Americans, Bush made it clear that he is not about to cut and run.

Think about it. He has members of Congress, including some in his own party, demanding immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq and a timetable. He has Dem congressmen holding that goofy mock impeachment inquiry in a basement room of the Capitol. He has idiots like Little Dick Durbin ripping America for its gulag at Guantanamo Bay and comparing American forces to Nazis, the Soviets, and Pol Pot. He sees his approval rating slipping to its lowest point in his presidency, as well as the approval for his handling of the war in Iraq at its lowest.

Instead of buckling under pressure and choosing to lead by polls, Bush is fighting to strengthen America's resolve.

He has been under relentless attack by a pack of crazed Democrats who care more about regaining power than they do about the country's future. Some politically opportunistic RINOs are trying to score points as well, without any thought about the ramifications for the nation.

After 9/11, I would not have predicted it would get so ugly so fast. It's as if the attacks never happened, that 3000 lives weren't lost on American soil, that thousands upon thousands of people weren't personally touched by the terror.

When Bush addressed both Houses of Congress nine days after the attacks, he said:

This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with its decisive liberation of territory and its swift conclusion.

It will not look like the air war above Kosovo two years ago, where no ground troops were used and not a single American was lost in combat.

Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have seen.

He prepared the nation for a long-term struggle to help assure our safety. How quickly people have forgotten!

He continued:

Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment.

Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us.

Our nation, this generation, will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. We'll go back to our lives and routines, and that is good. Even grief recedes with time and grace.

But our resolve must not pass. Each of us will remember what happened that day, and to whom it happened. We will remember the moment the news came, where we were and what we were doing. Some will remember an image of fire, or a story of rescue. Some will carry memories of a face and a voice gone forever.

Some in the country are doing their best to undermine the resolve that united us in the days following 9/11 and they have had success. Some have grown tired. Some have been bent on tripping up U.S. efforts. Some are behaving in a fashion that could cause us to fail, and all in the name of politics and power.

Our resolve must not pass.