Bush Brings It

The full text of the President's speech tonight can be found here.

These were, IMHO, the money grafs:

We have more work to do, and there will be tough moments that test America’s resolve. We are fighting against men with blind hatred — and armed with lethal weapons — who are capable of any atrocity. They wear no uniform; they respect no laws of warfare or morality. They take innocent lives to create chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will in Iraq — just as they tried to shake our will on September 11, 2001. They will fail. The terrorists do not understand America. The American people do not falter under threat — and we will not allow our future to be determined by car bombers and assassins.

America and our friends are in a conflict that demands much of us. It demands the courage of our fighting men and women … it demands the steadfastness of our allies … and it demands the perseverance of our citizens. We accept these burdens — because we know what is at stake. We fight today, because Iraq now carries the hope of freedom in a vital region of the world — and the rise of democracy will be the ultimate triumph over radicalism and terror. And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens — and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there … we will fight them across the world — and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.

Very nice. Kind of the rhetorical equivalent of pouring cheap beer into Uncle Teddy's martini snifter. Expect the Fifth Column to be sputtering even more stridently, and know that somewhere, Karl Rove is grinning from ear to ear.

Can't help adding a caveat, though: what about Iran and Red China? Is winning half a war and ignoring the other half, while our ultimate enemy is slipping in behind us, really sound national security strategy?

Maybe that's in the next speech.

I hope.

UPDATE: The Cap'n has reaction to the reaction. Love the line about, "Oh, goody. Charles Rangel is on the tube now. Time to get a beer." I'm a teetotaler myself, but if I had to listen to Rangel or any other member of the anti-war crowd for any stretch of time measured in more than seconds, I think I'd have to take up drinking. Between the hate speech, shrill stridency, and the policy equivalent of the August network TV lineup (wall-to-wall reruns, and not good ones, either), well, isn't that what they make TV bricks for?

I mean, come on, seriously, turn the whole kit & kaboodle in Iraq over to the EUnuchs? That's like going to the gym to lift weights and having an armless guy spot you on the bench press.

On the other hand, it's kind of a novelty to close my eyes and picture John Kerry speaking in a gravelly Brooklynesque accent. Though not trading in the Perrier for a long-necked bottle of Colt-45 - I don't think Lurch could ever get that hammered....