Mr President

Mr. President: Time for Humble Pie?

Mr. President;

Back when you first proposed military action against Iraq the arguments for and against were many. One man stepped forward with a clear and compelling reason to go forward: George P. Schultz. Writing in a Washington Post article in September 2002, Mr. Schultz detailed the many violations of previous UN Security Council resolutions by the Iraqi regime. Had you stuck to the script that Mr. Schultz conveniently provided, we might have prevailed with the UN Security Council. Instead, you have frittered away the moral advantage and we now stand on the brink of a war that may strip America of her prestige and authority.

Colin Powell, sent to the UN to present a case you only reluctantly agreed to, went with information that now appears to have come from questionable sources. Your case of an alleged nuclear weapons program teeters on the edge of collapse. Perhaps by the time I post this, it will have done so. Tony Blair, our staunchest ally, risks his political career to support you, even in the face of the cracks in the evidentiary facade you put forth.

When does it stop Mr. President? When will you acknowledge that you have risked America's prestige and moral authority in pursuit of a war that satisfies a personal agenda? When do you plan on telling us the truth about the costs of that war? I have no love for Hussein and I think Mr. Schultz made a compelling case for removing him from power. However, in view of your inability to separate American interests from personal interests I have to believe that this war is ill advised.

Any military victory will be forgotten as we struggle with the inevitable nation building that must occur. That is an activity you have previously indicated a distaste for. How is your taste for humble pie then Mr. President? For I think you will need to eat a hefty portion at some point in the immediate future. With any luck, the Democrats will overcome their fractiousness and produce a real leader to challenge you in 2004. Should that occur, I suggest you start planning your move back to Texas. I don't think the American people will suffer your hubris much longer.