Pushing Forward

Fire of Liberty
This morning before an audience at the American Enterprise Institute, Vice President Cheney delivered a wonderful and stirring speech on our current fight against the terrorists in Iraq and throughout the region. It seems that the White House has finally decided to drive out of the fog that has surrounded the administration since the January elections in Iraq. By taking a well grounded stand against his critics, President Bush can re-awaken the American people to what he is attempting to achieve in taking the war to the terrorists. If we don't rally our people to continue to support a victory in one of the many battles in this epic war on Islamic terrorism, we could see many more attacks that put the magnitude of 9/11 to shame. I think Vice President Cheney set out our goals very clearly in today's speech. Take a look:

Wartime conditions are, in every case, a test of military skill and national resolve. But this is especially true in the war on terror. Four years ago, President Bush told Congress and the country that the path ahead would be difficult, that we were heading into a long struggle, unlike any we have known. All this has come to pass. We have faced, and are facing today, enemies who hate us, hate our country, and hate the liberties for which we stand. They dwell in the shadows, wear no uniform, have no regard for the laws of warfare, and feel unconstrained by any standard of morality. We've never had a fight like this, and the Americans who go into the fight are among the bravest citizens this nation has ever produced. All who have labored in this cause can be proud of their service for the rest of their lives.

The terrorists lack any capacity to inspire the hearts of good men and women. And their only chance for victory is for us to walk away from the fight. They have contempt for our values, they doubt our strength, and they believe that America will lose our nerve and let down our guard. But this nation has made a decision: We will not retreat in the face of brutality, and we will never live at the mercy of tyrants or terrorists.

None of us can know every turn that lies ahead for America in the fight against terror. And because we are Americans, we are going to keep discussing the conduct and the progress of this war and having debates about strategy. Yet the direction of events is plain to see, and this period of struggle and testing should also be seen as a time of promise. The United States of America is a good country, a decent country, and we are making the world a better place by defending the innocent, confronting the violent, and bringing freedom to the oppressed. We understand the continuing dangers to civilization, and we have the resources, the strength, and the moral courage to overcome those dangers and lay the foundations for a better world.

I have a feeling that this is just the tip of the spear in the White House's push-back. Rally On!!!