politics

Bush, Cheney Chide War Critics

By Melissa Charbonneau
White House Correspondent

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - President Bush and Vice President Cheney are firing back at Democrats who say the U.S. should start pulling out of Iraq.

Bush has dismissed comments by Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean who recently compared the Iraq war to Vietnam, calling it "plain wrong" to think of achieving victory in Iraq, and talking of pulling all American forces from Iraq in two years.

On Tuesday the President said that America's troops need to hear the U.S. has a strategy to win.

“There are pessimists, politicians who try to score points. But our strategy is one that will lead us to victory,” he promised. “The only thing that the enemy has going for them is their capacity to take life. Get on our TV screens, you know. The devastation that they cause. These people cannot stand free societies. They have no regard for the human condition. They'll kill women and children at the drop of a hat, all aimed at frightening the American people. "

Addressing the troops at New York's Fort Drum Army Base, the vice president rejected calls for an early pullout from Iraq. He warned the terrorists would win if America loses its nerve and abandons its mission in Iraq

Cheney said, “All Americans can be certain, any decision about troop levels will be driven by the conditions on the ground and the judgments of our commander -- not by artificial timelines set up by politicians in Washington, D.C."

Anti-war rhetoric coming from Democrats such as Dean and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who has endorsed early withdrawals from Iraq, is sparking speculation of a rift in the Democratic Party.

Some Democrats say attacks on the Bush war policy could backfire and damage Democrats' chances in next year's elections.

They are worried that the public might construe the harsh comments as criticism of American troops on the ground in Iraq.

And conservatives will attack the Democrats as the party of cutting and running.

While some Democrats say differences in their party are a badge of honor, proving they are not towing a partisan line. Expect the President to continue hammering on his critics and defending his war policy in speeches leading up to Iraq's upcoming elections, a week from now.

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