November 30, 2005
“President Bush’s speech today was the speech of a man who has staked his presidency on a failed policy and refuses to take responsibility.
“More than two years after declaring ‘mission accomplished’ in Iraq, President Bush is asking the American people to accept a public relations campaign dressed up as a ‘plan for victory.’
“The President can try to put lipstick on a pig, but the American people aren’t fooled. They have already rejected the administration’s tired, stay-the-course policy that has no clear end and no clear standards for accountability.
“President Bush refuses to acknowledge the fact that the presence of US troops has become the one force that unifies the disparate elements of the insurgency. Our troops have become the rallying point and target of the very insurgency they are asked to contain, which is why we must begin the process of bringing them home.
“The American people deserve honesty and accountability, not more rhetoric and spin. It is time for a change of course in Iraq. We can do better.”
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Barbara Lee Responds to President Bush’s Speech on Iraq
(Oakland, CA) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement in response to President Bush’s speech outlining a “plan for victory” in Iraq today:“President Bush’s speech today was the speech of a man who has staked his presidency on a failed policy and refuses to take responsibility.
“More than two years after declaring ‘mission accomplished’ in Iraq, President Bush is asking the American people to accept a public relations campaign dressed up as a ‘plan for victory.’
“The President can try to put lipstick on a pig, but the American people aren’t fooled. They have already rejected the administration’s tired, stay-the-course policy that has no clear end and no clear standards for accountability.
“President Bush refuses to acknowledge the fact that the presence of US troops has become the one force that unifies the disparate elements of the insurgency. Our troops have become the rallying point and target of the very insurgency they are asked to contain, which is why we must begin the process of bringing them home.
“The American people deserve honesty and accountability, not more rhetoric and spin. It is time for a change of course in Iraq. We can do better.”