George Bush Doubles Down

That was the headline from the top of the Saturday Wall Street Journal. It's a reference to a blackjack hand that is a winner and you want to go for the whole thing. Played right it's not a risky bet. But it is Gutsy.

That's what I love about our President. He is of more courage than anyone in recent history.

Paul Gigot who wrote the article says as a president he is more Truman than LBJ. My opinon is he is superior to both. George W Bush is without comparisom.

If you have the time and the courage to read the whole thing you will see a president in full charge of the situation, in full command of the strategy, in full understanding of the situation and without wavering ready to double down.

Here are a few key lines from the article posted on Opinion Journal today:

"Now, my view of the country is this: Most people want us to win. There are a good number who say, get out now. But most Americans are united in the concept--of the idea of winning."

Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni. Mr. Bush says partition would be "a mistake," though he does add that "the Iraqi people are going to have to make that decision." But he says Iraqis didn't vote for partition when they approved their new constitution or new government, and "this government has been in place since June; 90 days is a long time for some, but it's really not all that long to help a nation that was brutalized under a tyrant to get going."

Iraq is the first real test of the nation's commitment to this ideological struggle. . . . I believe it strongly. One way for the American people to understand the stakes is to envision what happens if America withdraws." He has been hitting that last point hard in his recent speeches, and it is the linchpin of the argument Mr. Bush will make through November against the Democrats who insist on pulling out immediately.

Intriguingly, the president broke a little news on the subject of Iran, acknowledging that he personally signed off on the U.S. visit this week by former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. The trip has angered many conservatives because Mr. Khatami presided over the nuclear weapons development and cheating that Mr. Bush has pledged to stop. Why let him visit?

"I was interested to hear what he had to say," Mr. Bush responds without hesitation. "I'm interested in learning more about the Iranian government, how they think, what people think within the government. My hope is that diplomacy will work in convincing the Iranians to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions. And in order for diplomacy to work, it's important to hear voices other than [current President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad's."

've interviewed Mr. Bush at length in the last eight years, going back to his time as Texas governor. One of the notable things about him is how similar he seems. He has always been supremely confident in his decisions and focused above all else on pushing forward, not looking back. If he is tortured by doubt, he doesn't show it to journalists. Some see this as obstinance, but he sees it as firmness of conviction.

Whether or not he's right about the elections this fall, you have to respect his willingness to put that conviction on the line. "I said in my Inaugural Address, we should end tyranny in the 21st century," he says. "And I meant that."

He's quite a man, my kind of man, my kind of President. I'm prepared to make my prediciton now. House and Senate stay as they are. In fact, it's possible the republican's pick up an additional seat in the Senate.

I'm always thankful for the Liberals in our country. They have a bullseye painted on their feet and never miss in crunch time like elections. Oops they did it again.