Immediate withdrawal

Democrats are dishonest. That's the only thing I can take away from this Washington Post story:

While Bush appealed for patience, the House minority leader announced hers was at an end. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became the first congressional leader to endorse a call to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, following the path laid out two weeks ago by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.).

Pelosi said she was offering her own view, not speaking for the Democratic caucus, but added that her conversations with colleagues suggest that "clearly a majority of the caucus supports Mr. Murtha" and his plan to immediately bring home the 160,000 U.S. forces in Iraq.

Funny, when a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq was put to a vote a couple of weeks only three Democrats voted for it. But now Pelosi says that most actually approve of that idea. Did something change in the past two weeks? Or were Democrats just lying when they voted against the resolution?

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Who knows, maybe they're all so enamored with John Kerry's eloquence that they want to be able to claim they voted against it before they were for it.

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Now, contrast such mealy-mouthed antics with this speech from President Bush yesterday:

Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send a message across the world that America is a weak and an unreliable ally. Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would send a signal to our enemies -- that if they wait long enough, America will cut and run and abandon its friends. And setting an artificial deadline to withdraw would vindicate the terrorists' tactics of beheadings and suicide bombings and mass murder -- and invite new attacks on America. To all who wear the uniform, I make you this pledge: America will not run in the face of car bombers and assassins so long as I am your Commander-in-Chief.

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...There is only one way to honor the sacrifice of Corporal Starr and his fallen comrades -- and that is to take up their mantle, carry on their fight, and complete their mission.

There is a lot of criticism aimed at President Bush, much of it deserved. But at least you know where he stands, which is more than what can be said about the opposition.