Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 | 7:26 a.m.
For all the blame and abuse heaped on President Bush by letter writers such as Raymond Harbert, seldom do such complainers acknowledge our success in the battle against our determined enemy.
In days it will be five years in which not one terrorist assault has succeeded in our country. In October 2001, in this gambling town, you easily could have gotten 20-to-1 odds that no more than a year would pass without another horrendous attack. Can't you Bush-batterers recall how universal that belief was then? Who, might I ask, deserves credit for our good fortune? Should we give credit to Al Gore, Hillary Clinton or "loudmouth" Howard Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee? Alas, those Bush-bashers deserve none. George Bush is our leader, and he is entitled to such credit; he's earned it.
In Iraq, where Bush hoped a bold attempt at instilling democracy would be achieved, he has floundered. He is accountable. The Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan after seven years of war. Our troops and allies defeated the Taliban, there, in just one month! Bush, noting that swift victory, mistakenly opted for similar tactics in Iraq, believing the results would be, well, similar. Didn't happen!
Is that good reason to castigate him? Should rantings of Chairman Dean hold sway over public opinion? Americans need to step back, take a sensible look at reality, then judge the president, taking into account his success at protecting our nation, a success very few of us thought possible five years ago.
Fred Waldman, Henderson
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