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Bush to Democrats: Don't slam Iraq policy
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-11 08:41 "In a free society, there's only one check on political speech and that's the
judgment of the American people," the president said to sustained applause from
a friendly audience, a gathering of Veterans of Foreign Wars. "So I ask all
Americans to hold their elected leaders to account and demand a debate that
brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries."
White House press secretary Scott McClellan would not say who Bush believes
has been irresponsible, other than Democratic Party chief Howard Dean, who said
last month that "the idea that we're going to win this war ... is just plain
wrong." In the past, the White House has also singled out, among others, Rep.
John Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who became a leading advocate for a quick
troop pullout, and other Democrats who say Bush has no strategy.
Democrats said Bush has no business trying to define what sort of talk is
acceptable.
"Patriotic Americans will continue to ask the tough questions because our
brave men and women in Iraq, their families and the American people deserve to
know that their leaders are being held accountable," said Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reid.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said loyalty demands that Democrats differ
with Bush on the lack of sufficient body armor for troops and other issues.
"From its inception and continuing to this moment, the absence of open and
honest debate has been one of the hallmarks of this war," the California
Democrat said.
Rep. Adam Schiff, who met with Bush recently at the White House, praised the
president's recent efforts to gather differing viewpoints and welcomed the call
for a more civil dialogue. But Schiff said the process must begin at the White
House, which he said "brought the debate down a significant notch" when it
attacked Murtha, a respected veteran and longtime hawk.
"Some of the worst culprits in worsening the dialogue on Iraq have come from
the White House," said Schiff, who attended Bush's speech. "It's got to be a
two-way street."
It was the latest in a series of speeches by Bush aimed at giving Americans
more detail and more candor. He predicted more sacrifice and more progress in
2006 in Iraq.
The still-unannounced results of Iraq's Dec. 15 elections are expected to
show the religious Shiite United Iraqi Alliance with a strong lead. The Shiites
will, however, will need to form a coalition government with support from
Kurdish and Sunni Arab political groups.
Bush said Iraqis must put aside political, religious and sectarian
differences to be successful.
Sunnis, he said, "need to learn how to use their influence constructively in
a democratic system," while Shiites and Kurds must "protect the rights of
minorities against the tyranny of the majority."
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