President Bush's Press Conference

President Bush is a Profile in Manliness although this
clueless writer will never get it. This sensible mom does.

Harvey C. Mansfield has a book out about manliness and wrote about that subject in this 2003 article.

The following quote is a prime example of what a strong, courageous man would say…

“If I didn’t believe we could succeed, I wouldn’t be there. I wouldn’t put those kids there,” Bush declared.

President Bush gave the American people an update on the War in Iraq yesterday and it was splendidly delivered.

Today the president held a press conference and the man was confidant as he faced the silly questioners in the press who by the way could learn something from some of the apocalyptic citizens who were at the President’s speech yesterday. At least some of the questions were delivered in a much more civil manner.

“The decisions about our troop levels will be made by General Casey and the commanders on the ground. They’re the ones who can best judge whether or not the presence of coalition troops create more of a problem than a solution — than be a part of the solution,” he said. A complete withdrawal “is an objective. And that will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq,” he added.

Beginning with an opening statement on the war in Iraq and events in Iran, the Q&A was part of a strategy in which the president took his case for continuing to support the war effort directly to the American people.

It follows a speech Monday in Cleveland in which the president described one city, Tal Afar, in Iraq that has had positive results since the Iraqi security forces and police took control of the town. In particular, Bush pointed to success in stabilizing an insurgent stronghold in Tal Afar, a northern Iraqi city of 200,000 near the Syrian border.

On Tuesday, Bush said cases like Tal Afar gave him “confidence in the future of Iraq.”

Bob Schieffer reported after the news conference that President Bush seemed more like the person the news media knows when he’s off camera than when he’s on.

Today the president made sure that everyone understood that he feels strongly about the course he has taken.

Slipping Bob?

I think Schieffer let something slip out that many of us already know because we haven’t bought the media portrayal of President Bush. Schieffer will have his hands slapped for that. Helen Thomas may be tripping him one of these days soon.

President Bush will be an important President for decades no matter who comes after him or how much Helen Thomas rages.

John Mark Reynolds explains in this brilliant piece.

Bush has set a course for victory that will transform the world for a generation and he is well on his way to success. Iraq is not bursting into Civil War. The religious leaders know they need to unite. Our armed forces are not falling apart. . . enlistment remains high. While Clinton looks into the rear view mirror, checking on himself and Europe, Bush is making new allies with rising nations such as India. Bush is looking ahead to the future on the Pacific rim. This cowboy Bush is a Western man and he understands the future is in the Pacific. He will secure us friends in that region from Mongolia to South Korea to New Delhi that will give us powerful allies for decades to come.