Bush's "Flip-Flop": The Real Flip-Flop and The Rest of the Story

The press and the Democrats are going on and on about President Bush’s “flip flop” on terror.

Bush said in a candid interview that the war on terror couldn’t be won. The Kerry campaign latched onto this statement and then went on the offensive when Bush clarified his statement yesterday.

The Democrats took this as blood in shark-infested water, but I took it thus: FINALLY, we have some truth about how the war on terror is really going. For the Democrats to attack such a truthful statement and then say the war on terror CAN be won to score election year points is irresponsible. Kerry/Edwards will not win the war on terror either.

Let’s face it: al-Qaeda will not be face to face with the United States at the bargaining table negotiating the unconditional surrender of all al-Qaeda forces around the world or on a battlefield. Bush was absolutely right on this point. They will fight to the death if they can or commit suicide. If we are fortunate, our people in the field may capture them.

I believe Bush compounded his mistake by saying the next day that “we will win the war on terror.” No, no, no. He should have clarified his mistake as he did, but not said we will win. That is the Bush flip-flop that the Democrats are attacking. He should have thought that one through a little more. He was hasty.

The war on terror is not about winning, or being sensitive. It’s about prevention and deterrence. It’s about making sure that our mortal enemies never hurt us again as they did on September 11th. It’s a long-term fight, not a conflict that will end after a hundred hours of ground combat or by fighting a war that lasts two months. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves. Stopping terrorist activities will not involve only the military, but law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well. If any politician is naïve enough to declare victory against all future terrorism, then they deserve to lose their office.

Hopefully no politician is stupid enough to do something like that, but the rumblings coming from the campaigns is disturbing enough to make me think that they might do so if they thought it was the best political thing to do. That kind of politicking must STOP!