Preview of the State of the Union Address

At tonight's State of the Union address, President Bush will face a markedly different audience than he ever has for his annual appearance before Congress and the American people.  Not only will he have a Democratic-led House and Senate in the chambers, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi looking over his shoulder, but he will also be addressing an American public that has never been more skeptical of his ability to lead our nation to a sensible solution in Iraq, the most important moral and political issue of our day.

President Bush's proposal for a way forward in Iraq is not promising.  He has notified the American people of his intention to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq.  For the past several years, as casualties and dollars have mounted and our international prestige has declined, President Bush has exhorted Americans of the need to "stay the course" in Iraq.  Now, astonishingly, he has found a way forward that is even worse than "stay the course."  It is now, "stay the course, but put even more American lives at risk"-- with no more security for Americans at home and with no better future for Iraqis.

The American people could not have made themselves more clear in November.  The opposition in Congress to President Bush's escalation is overwhelming and bipartisan, and includes former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee John Warner (R-VA), a thoughtful and experienced mind in military affairs.

In the coming weeks, Congress will take action to show disapproval of President Bush's proposed troop escalation in Iraq.  Rather than increasing the number of American troops in Iraq, we should be implementing a responsible withdrawal (starting immediately), encouraging Iraqis to take control of their own security, and implementing an aggressive diplomatic offensive with regional interests and others.  The American people and the brave members of our Armed Forces deserve no less.