"Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis, who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done."

But what if the job is to make sure we establish a permanent military presence in the country and control of its petroleum resources?

"It would send the wrong signal to our troops, who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve."

I'm sure they're thrilled to know how much richer their sacrifice has made the executives at Halliburton, Bechtel, Exxon-Mobil and Lockheed-Martin. Perhaps by the time they come home you'll have restored cuts in Veterans' benefits.

"And it would send the wrong message to the enemy, who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out."

The enemy already knows all they have to do is wait us out.

"The challenge facing Iraqis today is to put this past behind them and come together to build a new Iraq that includes all of its people."

Which past would that be? The one where we put the Ba'ath in power? Put Saddam in power? Or the past where we financed his war with Iran, genocide of Kurds and Shiites and nuclear ambitions? Or perhaps it's the past where we killed half a million women, children and elderly through a decade of sanctions? Or the one where we killed 100,000 civilians, imprisoned and tortured countless more, and destroyed what was left of the country's infrastructure?

"Our enemies are brutal, but they are no match for the United States of America, and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military."

Yes, Mr. President. Abu Ghraib and the tens of thousands of civilian deaths have demonstrated just how brutal we can be. Great job!

"Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down."

But what if we're standing on top of them? Or suppose they don't stand for what we want them to?

"The principal task of our military is to find and defeat the terrorists. And that is why we are on the offense."

Really? I thought it was to build a stable and democratic government in Iraq, and in so doing spread freedom and democracy across the Middle East. And what if we're creating more terrorists than we can find and defeat?

"And we know that this great ideal of human freedom is entrusted to us in a special way, and that the ideal of liberty is worth defending."

If the President really believes this, perhaps he could resign so we could actually begin defending rather the frustrating freedom and liberty across the globe.