National Security Program | Memo
Reckless and Out of Touch - President Bush’s Speech at National Defense University
SUMMARY
President Bush’s announcement that he will keep troops in Iraq rather than deploy reinforcements to Afghanistan highlights his reckless and out of touch approach to America’s security interests in the Middle East. Progressives have a tough and smart approach to Afghanistan and Iraq focused on taking the fight to our enemies and preventing an attack against the United States.
This memo discusses President Bush’s announcement at the National Defense University through the frames provided in Third Way’s memo “Winning on National Security.” With President Bush’s announcement that U.S. forces in Iraq are going to remain above pre-surge levels for the remainder of his term, he recklessly is putting his legacy and John McCain’s electoral fortunes ahead of the national security interests of the United States, and he has once again shown that he and McCain are out of touch with the real threats America faces. By contrast, Barack Obama and progressives in Congress have forcefully argued that we must shift our focus with a tough and smart policy that reinforces our troops in Afghanistan and pursues al Qaeda along the Afghan border.
