Articles
MLK is Rolling in his Grave
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Black America took a wrong turn. At some time in the past few decades, although it pains me to determine precisely when, this occurred. In his March 26 article the Miami Herald’s Leonard Pitts Jr. illustrated this so eloquently that I really won’t have to say much to make this point… but I will!
Barack Obama completely missed the boat on this. His “race speech” was a bland continuation of his passionate delivery of vague generalities. He no more “showed us how” to talk about race than Pete Rose showed us how to talk about ethics.
Here stood the first legitimate Black American in the running for the United States Presidency. The bully pulpit was his. The media was all ears! The time was NOW! And…
A dud.
A stale, rhetoric filled dud.
If Obama had talked to us “as though we were adults” as John Leibowitz (Stewart’s real nam stated on his Daily Show then he would have been HONEST and DIRECT in his words to the country. This is something both White and Black America desperately need to hear, and they need to hear it from (Bill Cosby can’t do this alone and last I checked he was not a Presidential candidate, and while all my points are factual and true I am indeed a Typical White Person so I have racism bred into me since birth and am therefore disqualified to comment).
Obama could have been a reformer Democrat. He could have risen to this occasion and turned the negatives of his preacher’s alarming views into the ultimate positive. Instead Obama swung and missed.
Obama: “I can no more disavow my pastor as I can the black community.” With this he undid any chance he had for lifting up the black community. The remarks of Pastor Wright are so far removed from reality that most simply laugh them off or sit in stunned amazement of how dangerously pandering they are, especially coming from an educated adult. Not only should Obama have denounced the statements of his pastor of 20 years, he should have offered rebuttals! This would have started the American ball rolling towards… what is that word again???
Here is what Obama should have said:
There is absolutely no conspiracy to let drugs into the black community, and the AIDS virus is a worldwide epidemic, not a scheme created by the U.S. Government to infect Black Americans. Anyone who would say this is either woefully ignorant or an outright liar.
Al Qaeda has attacked the U.S., the U.K., South Africa, Israel, Yemen, Australia, Spain, and Japan to name a few.
Al Qaeda opposes liberty and individual rights. They hate our freedom and way of life. They are indoctrinated against the West from the time they are children. This has nothing to do with any “chickens coming home to roost.”
People who support Affirmative Action based on RACE (and not on economics) are misguided and bigoted. They look at you based on the color of your skin and say “they are not good enough and need the help of the government.” President Bush was right when he called this the “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
We are fooling ourselves. We allow people like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton to claim they speak for us with for race baiting rhetoric. We ignore the brilliant minds of Black Americans such as Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Roy Innis, Ward Connerly, Sojourner Truth, Justice Clarence Thomas, Shelby Steele, Francis Rice and Justice Janice Rogers Brown to name a few. These are the role models for young Black Americans to emulate!
Blacks face an uphill battle to start with due to the high rate of out of wedlock births in our community. It is at 70%. In the 1950’s it was at 20%. How did this happen? Why did this happen? This is not about slavery or even about racism. Look yourself in the mirror!
I was wrong when I called for the firing of Don Imus and although his statements were in fact stupid, bigoted and wrong, I see the error of my thinking and what a double standard I have set for those who look up to my leadership and vision for the country.
Man is imperfect. History has proven this time and time again. Racism will always exist in the minds of some. It is up to you to determine how this affects your sense of self worth and your ability to make it in America.
The “War on Poverty” has lasted for 40 years and cost $40 Trillion (with a T). Go to any big city in America and the poor section of town is always heavily populated by Blacks. 9 of the 10 cities highest in poverty are run by Democrats and have been for decades.
You’ve been hoodwinked. You’ve been had. You’ve been took. You’ve been led astray, led amok. You’ve been bamboozled.” Malcolm X
Blacks now vote 92% for Democrats. This represents the highest voting bloc in the country’s history. Even as a Democrat I can see how this is harming us as a society. We are being taken advantage of. We should at least revisit the issues at hand. Which is the party that best represents your chance at economic freedom and success? Which party correctly defines the ROLE for the Federal Government?
Consider:
1. With blacks dying at an average of 7 years before their white counterparts, why do we support a Party who prevents us from passing our “social security” savings to our children?
2. Blacks support personal responsibility and strong punishment for criminals. We must understand that the criminal justice system is not racist: Blacks make up 12% of the population yet commit almost 50% of the violent crime!
3. Blacks overwhelmingly oppose gay marriage and abortion on demand.
4. Republicans support school choice in general and vouchers in particular, which would directly help the poorest inner city children with nowhere to turn. Democrats blocked school doorways for blacks in the 60’s and continue to do so today with their policies towards education.
5. Learn History. The Democrat Party filibustered to kill the 1964 Civil Rights Act, started the KKK, and proudly refers to a former Klansman as “the conscience of the Senate.”
In closing, we need to realize that we live in the greatest country ever conceived by man. We should thank God each day that we were born into a country that provides each and every one of us with the opportunity to do with our lives whatever we choose and to earn as much wealth for ourselves and our families as we can. Remember that “People vote with their feet” and millions upon millions of people each year would not risk their very lives to come to this country if this were not so. Wake up people!
Perhaps this was the turning point: When Senator Barry Goldwater (REP) voted against the Civil Rights Act the liberals seized this as a propaganda tool and a spark that drove Black Americans from the RED side to the BLUE. No matter that Goldwater did this based on a constitutional argument that the Act was unnecessary because of the 14th Amendment. Goldwater later regretted this vote. I do too as it led to millions of modern day Black Americans being led astray.
The real tragedy in all of this is that not only are many Black Americans missing the boat when it comes to the American Dream, they don’t even know what that dream actually is and that they too can achieve it, since they are constantly being told how awful our country is! This is truly a shame.
At the end of the day, the person telling the truth is typically vilified, as most of the time people don’t want to hear it. But the truth is the truth. Facts are facts and cannot be “agreed with.” What I have written here today is indeed fact. Cold and Hard.
If Barack Obama had said these things he would have made a difference. He would have forced the issue. He could have defined a generation.
I am still waiting. And Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is rolling in his grave.
conservOpunk
Myspace.com/conservopunk
The True Bigots… Democrat Editorialists!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The True Bigots… Democrat Editorialists
So it has come to this. It is now perfectly fine to consider a person’s race and gender when voting for President of the United States. Starting in pre school we are taught that these things are expressly NOT a valid reason with which to make decisions and judgments about each other, but now I have to explain Mr. Ensley’s article to my little girl after she see’s the “Madame President” photo. (This after explaining the NYT “Betray-Us ad). Did I miss something in Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech?
Apparently so. Forty years and hundreds of billions of dollars in the “War on Poverty” have basically created a permanent second class of American citizen, dependant on and beholden to the mighty Federal Government - stripped of their dignity, sense of individual pride and will to succeed.
Maybe I missed it but some of the most powerful, successful and brilliant people in this country lately are Black Americans like Colin Powell, Condi Rice and Justice Clarence Thomas. (None of which incidentally have EVER been on the covers of JET or EBONY magazines… not once). Naturally any intelligent reader would imagine the question “would Gerald Ensley consider voting for any of the persons mentioned above?” They fit the race/gender bill nicely after all.
Attention Big Lib editorial writers… the Democrat Party in general and Hillary Clinton (and Barrack Obama) in particular represent everything that we fought against during the American Revolution. Think about it: High Taxation, unlimited Government power, collectivism, group rights, to name a few. Now, rather than considering this and other genuine principles of American governance, we set out to nominate and then elect a President based on their RACE, and/or GENDER.
It is truly sad how Black Americans are pandered to and taken for granted by the Democrats. I guess it is okay to consider RACE if the candidate is on the left side of the aisle (and Obama is consistently rated as the most liberal Senator). I would be surprised by the stories of Blacks walking into the election room and being annoyed when handed a DEM ballot when they are a registered REP. While American Blacks should so clearly be voting Republican, they overwhelmingly (92% on average) do not.
Have you seen those little online “Electoral Compasses” where you answer a number of policy based and issue oriented questions, then it matches you with your Presidential Candidate. As simple as this is it absolutely does a better job in matching our vote with our candidate who best represents our views than does RACE and GENDER.
If the object of these “it’s okay to discuss race and gender” columns is to evoke a reaction out of the reader then mission accomplished! I just hope the writers of such columns awaken each morning thanking their lucky stars to have a writing career as it was based (at least on the body of evidence) on something such as RACE or GENDER and certainly not on intelligence, writing skill or insight.
Yours truly,
conservOpunk
THE POLITICS OF WEATHER: How The Weather Channel Turned Forecasting Into Bush-Bashing!
I guess I should have realized it was going to happen back when liberals started blaming hurricanes on Bush foreign policy. Then when Katrina hit and the failure of a Democrat govenor and Democrat Mayor to mange the aftermath of the disaster morphed into another failed Bush policy, I should have seen it coming.
Last night, it hit me right between the eyes.
I was watching the Weather Channel for the “local on the eights” forecast. I should have changed channels before they got back into programming but the I didn’t. I got sucked right into another installment of their ongoing series, “When Weather Changed History.” Guess what I learned? I learned that Republican Herbert Hoover drove blacks away from the Republican Party after he failed to follow through on numerous promises made to black America during his campaign. This is one way that weather changed history. Oh yeah, he also ordered levee’s on the Mississippi River to be blown up, causing the flooding of poor, black parrishes north of New Orleans in order to save his rich white friends in the city. Another astounding example of weather altering the course of history! Wait there’s more! Hoover ordered those levees to be blown up with complete disregard for deaths of black American’s that would most assuredly follow…and here’s the most important thing I learned…this whole Republican conspiracy against blacks back in the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927 is exactly what happened with Bush and Katrina.
Did you notice how I slipped that part in there about a flood? See, I told you this was about how weather changed history.
Why doesn’t the Weather Channel just change the name of the show? “How Republicans Use Weather to Kill Black People.” Yeah, that’s got a nice ring to it….and it’s timely too, what with the election and all happening right now. Maybe this one. “Storm Stories: Bush Lied, Crops Died!” How about just have random liberal rants 6 times an hour and call it “Crazies On The Eights.” Why hold back?
What happened to the Weather Channel? Is Dr. Heidi Cullen really a mad scientist who has replaced the brains of everyone working there? You remember her. She’s the gal that suggested any meteorologist who didn’t believe in global warming, excuse me climate change, any one of them who dared to have a differing opinion should be stripped of their American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval. Check out this quote from her weather.com blog.
” Meteorologists are among the few people trained in the sciences who are permitted regular access to our living rooms. And in that sense, they owe it to their audience to distinguish between solid, peer-reviewed science and junk political controversy. “
That’s what SHE said about scientist who DISAGREE with Al Gore’s version of climate change. You can’t make this stuff up. Here’s more.
If a meteorologist can’t speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn’t give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn’t agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It’s like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather. It’s not a political statement…it’s just an incorrect statement.”
Here’s the clincher.
“I agree with every meteorologist who says the topic of global warming has gotten too political. But that’s why talking about the science is so important!”
Remember that line the next time you’re watching “When Weather Changed History.”
THE END OF THE CLINTON ERA, OR JUST THE BEGINNING
I do respect Bill and Hillary Clinton. They are undoubtedly smart, well educated, incredible campaigners and survivors. While I disagree with most of their ideas about what government should be, they have governed effectively when given the opportunity.
With that being said I welcome their exit from the political center stage. The Clinton’s are solely responsible for the modern state of the body politic. It was the Clinton’s that ushered in the politics of destruction and the dumbing down of statesmenship. Only a few short years before Slick Willie’s arrival on the presidentail campaign trail, Gary Hart was run out of town on rail for possibly being involved in an affair. Bill Clinton got accused of rape, sexual molestation and illicit affairs and what did he get? The White House. Thanks to a wife who, when confronted on 60 minutes, barely blinked and besmirched the good name of Tammy Wynette “standing by her man”. Hillary taking one for the team. Sacrificing honor for power. And so it was at that moment that the last vestiges of stigmatism were shaken off the sanctity of marriage in the political arena. These days it takes a pedaphile or homosexual dalliances in a public restroom to raise eyebrows in politics. Thanks Hillary.
Onward and upward is the Clinton battle cry. Liberals bemoan a “secretive” Bush administration, but what did Bush ever do that compares to Hillary’s Whitewater files dissappearing from Vince Fosters office as he lay with a bullet in his brain. How does anything Bush has done compare to Clinton lacky Sandy Berger sneaking out top secret files to protect his former bosses.
Dumb it down. Lower the standard. Don’t ask, don’t tell.
The Clinton’s used government and office to bring forth the age of situational ethics and cultural equivalence and we are not better for it. Do I even need to mention Monica Lewinsky? That wagging finger. Could you ever imagine George Bush in the same scenario.
As Barak Obama pulls away from Hillary in the primaries I can see the end of the Clinton era over the horizon. But is it really the end? Bill and Hill will fight to the finish, but even if they lose and Obama becomes the new face of the Democrats, will the Clinton era really be over?
I’m afraid the answer is no. Pandora’s box is open. The Clinton legacy is not about policy, not about war, not about the economy, stupid. The Clinton legacy is about politics at any price. Winning, regardless of cost. Principles based on polling.
The Clinton era isn’t ending. It’s just getting started.
HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE ANN COULTER SCORNED.
Ann Coulter throws in the towel for 2008 and picks Hillary over McCain
MIKE HUCKABEE: THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN AMERICA
Right now, at this moment. Mike Huckabee is the most important man in America. Why? With a virtual dead heat between McCain and Romney going into Super Tuesday, Huckbee holds the key to victory for either candidate.
CNN’s exit polling from the Florida primary showed Romney and Huckabee competing for many of the same voters. Social conservatives, evangelicals, people concerned about the economy…several sub-sets of voters are splitting between Romney and Huckabee. That’s the only reason John McCain won Floriday. In fact, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the McCain campaign is trying to figure out how to funnel some money to Huckabee’s campaign to keep him floating through Super Tuesday, giving McCain an easier path to victory over Romney.
On the other hand, why isn’t Mitt Romney on the phone with Huckabee right now offering him the Vice Presidency or large sums of cash to pull out. Huckabee out of the race would probably put Romney over the top on Super Tuesday, but it looks like Huckabee is staying in and staying the course.
Of course, you can’t really count Huckabee out right now either. If by some miracle he gets an influx of cash into his campaign, he could use some well placed media to turn Super Tuesday in to the ultimate “kissing your sister” political event of the century with McCain, Romney and Huckabee all hitting the second week of February in a virtual tie. I don’t think Huckabee has or will raise the money to win, but a decent showing on Super Tuesday, winning one or two states and placing in a couple more, would put him in an incredible position going into the Republican convention, Hucakbee the King Maker!
If Huckabee is smart, and I know he is, he is in this for the long haul. He knows the Republican establishment is against him and without them, he can’t win. BUT…if he can build enough of a power base in these primarys and parlay that into a key position, even the Vice Presidency on either a McCain or Romney ticket, then 2012 could be the year of the Huck.
All that adds up to make Mike Huckabee the most important man in America.
I HAVE A DREAM
I have a dream.” That was the hillarious headline in the New York Post for the story about Bill Clinton falling asleep at a Martin Luther King memorial service. I miss Bill. He’s so much fun to poke fun at and this is just to rich. CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE VIDEO SHOWING BILL CLINTON HAVING A DREAM…THIS IS JUST TO FUNNY!
I LIKE MIKE
Yes, I know Mike Huckabee is a tad thin on foreign policy…but I like him.
Yes, I know the Club for Growth thinks he is a liberal tax and spender….but I like him.
Yes, I know every major conservative establishment entity, from the Weekly Standard to Ann Coulter. From the National Review to Rush Limbaugh are against him…but I like him.
I like Mike and I trust him. I like the fact that he is a former pastor. Praise God for someone with some actual demonstrable religious conviction.
I like the fact that he has a little bite to go along with his bark when he gets riled.
I like the fact that he plays bass guitar
I like Mike.
Look at some of his, so called, negatives. Lack of foreign policy experience. Now I ask you, is there anybody running for president, Republican or Democrat, who really has presidential level foreign policy experience. No, of course not. By that measure, Hillary Clinton is probably closer than anybody. Certain John McCain has substantial experience. But no candidate, ever in the history of America, has ever had the kind of foreign policy experience they need to be president. There is only one place to get that…ON THE JOB! If elected, Huckabee will do what every other president has done. Find the best people he can to advise him and make decisions on the information he is provided and his guiding principles.
That is the key. No matter who sits in the White House in 2009, they will all have access to the same information. They’ll have to face the same problems. The only difference between them. The only difference, will be the principles that guide their decisions. Their core beliefs. Their personal integrity.
Look at his history as an executive. Huckabee demonstrated an uncanny ability as govenor, to work with Democrats. Much like George Bush. Huckabee was the first Republican govenor in Arkansas since Reconstruction and was faced wtih some big challenges.
The Club for Growth calls him a tax and spend liberal on tax issues, but consider the kinds of taxes and expenditures Huckabee made as govenor. He taxed gasoline and cigarettes. The gasoline tax went to improve what were the worst roads in the United States and what are now considered some of the best. They are vastly improved. I know. I drive them. The cigarette tax went straight back into health care in the state, including free smoking cessation programs. I know. I got a free stop smoking kit from the state.
He raised fees for sportsmen. Fees for hunting and fishing licenses provide the funds that sustain what is Arkansas second most valuable resource, the beautiful flora and fauna of “The Natural State.”
Education. The state was sued because it’s property tax based school funding system kept poor districts poor and rich districts rich. The Supreme Court compelled the state to abide by the constitution which stated that every child would have equal access to education. Huckabee worked with a Democratic legislature to consolidate districts and revamp funding in a way that has helped Arkansas schools climb up from the bottom in education. So the states most valuable resource, it’s children, are now getting better educations than they were before, with local home rule and authority still in tact.
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. Huckabee is not stupid. He may be ignorant to some of the things he must know to be an effective president, along with every other candidate, but he is not stupid.
What is he. A principled man of conviction, compassion and true understanding of wants and needs of the average every day people like me. He’s the true man from a place called Hope….and I like him.
HUCK-OBAMA, IT’S CATCHING
You’ve got to love the Iowa caucus. This first-in-the-nation test of the presidential candidates should be cherished, for good reason. It can give a relative unknown, like Mike Huckabee a chance to come from the bottom to the top in a matter of weeks and it can give a novice, like Barak Obama an opportunity to take down what used to be the most formidable political machine in America.
The caucus format allows each candidate to literally speak directly to nearly every cacus voter. This “retail politics” as its called de-values the media and the king making political machines and enhances the power of the individual. Which gives us Mike Huckabee, winner wtih 34% and Barak Obama, winner with 38%.
Their victory is testimony to the power of their personalities. Think about it. Obama has virtually no executive experience, public or private, and Huckabee is reviled by the conservative establishment, and yet the both won in Iowa where their message and their personalities cannot be filtered by the media or opposing campaigns.
Obama is a very likable guy and, more so than any candidate, his Iowa victory gives him real momentum. But I will never, ever, not ever vote for him or any Democrat currently running for President. I just disagree with them on to many issues.
As for Huckabee, I’m not sure if he is the best Republican candidate for president, but I think he can be and I certainly prefer him over any Democrat.
I would also offer a word of caution to the conservative establishment. Don’t underestimate the power of personality. Huckabee can win the nomination. The same personality traits that make him effective in the one-on-one format can be amplified with the right media, the right machine and enough money. New Hampshire is another small state where nearly every voter get face time with the candidates. Huckabee may not win there, but if he has a decent showing and keeps his momentum, the next stop will be in familiar territory. South Carolina is Iowa with a southern accent and there are plenty of God-fearing evangelical voters there. A Huckabee win there and…who knows.
Congratulations to Huckabee and Obama. They’ve started a frenzy. Call it Huck-Obama, and its catching!
PETRAEUS OR BE-TRAY-US? HERE’S YOUR ANSWER
Below is a copy of a “New Years Thank-You” letter that General David Petraeus wrote to the troops and civilians under his command in Iraq. As you read it try to recall the MoveOn.org advertisement that accused Petraeus of betraying the American people. Compare his words of hope, encouragement and thanksgiving to the putrid bile spewed out by MoveOn and others. As he talks of victory and the challenges ahead, think back to Pelosi and Reid delcaring the “war is lost”, Obama’s call for immediate withdrawl and the liberal mindset of cut and run.
Thank God for men like General David Petraeus and for men and women like those who serve under him.
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Civilians of Multi-National Force-Iraq:
As 2007 draws to a close, you should look back with pride on what you, your fellow troopers, our Iraqi partners, and Iraqi Coalition civilians have achieved in 2007. A year ago, Iraq was racked by horrific violence and on the brink of civil war. Now, levels of violence and civilians and military casualties are significantly reduced and hope has been rekindled in many Iraqi communities. To be sure, the progress is reversible and there is much more to be done. Nonetheless, the hard-fought accomplishments of 2007 have been substantial, and I want to thank each of you for the contributions you made to them.
In response to the challenges that faced Iraq a year ago, we and our Iraqi partners adopted a new approach. We increased our focus on securing the Iraqi people and, in some cases, delayed transition of tasks to Iraqi forces. Additional U.S. and Georgian forces were deployed to theater, the tours of U.S. unites were extended, and Iraqi forces conducted a surge of their own, generating well over 100,000 more Iraqi police and soldiers during the year so that they, too, had additional forces to execute the new approach. In places like Ramadi, Baqubah, Arab Jabour, and Baghdad, you and our Iraqi brothers fought–often house by
house, block by block, and neighborhood by neighborhood–to wrest sanctuaries away from Al Qaeda-Iraq, to disrupt extremist militia elements, and to rid the streets of mafia-like criminals. Having cleared areas, you worked with Iraqis to retain them–establishing outposts in the areas we were securing, developing Iraqi Security Forces, and empowering locals to help our efforts. This approach has not been easy. It has required steadfastness in the conduct of tough offensive operations, creative solutions to the myriad problems on the ground, and persistence over the course of many months and during countless trying situations. Through it all, you have proven equal to every task, continually demonstrating an impressive ability to conduct combat and stability operations in an exceedingly complex environment.
Your accomplishments have given the Iraqi people new confidence and prompted many citizens to reject terror and confront those who practice it. As the months passed in 2007, in fact, the tribal awakening that began in Al Anbar Province spread to other parts of the country. Emboldened by improving security and tired of indiscriminate violence, extremist ideology, oppressive practices, and criminal activity, Iraqis increasingly rejected Al Qaeda-Iraq and rogue militia elements. Over time, the desire of Iraqis to contribute to their own security has manifested itself in citizens volunteering for the police, the Army, and concerned local citizen programs. It has been reflected in citizens providing information that has helped us find far more than double the number of arms and weapons caches we found last year. And it has been apparent in Iraqi communities now supporting their local security forces.
As a result of your hard work and that of our Iraqi comrades-in-arms–and with the support of the local populace in many areas–we have seen significant improvements in the security situation. The number of attacks per week is down some 60 percent from a peak in June of this year to a level last seen consistently in the early summer of 2005. With fewer attacks, we are also seeing significantly reduced loss of life. The number of civilian deaths is down by some 75 percent since its height a year ago, dropping to a level not seen since the beginning of 2006. And the number of Coalition losses is down substantially as well. We remain mindful that the past year’s progress has been purchased through the sacrifice and selfless service of all those involved and that the new Iraq must still contend with innumerable enemies and obstacles. Al Qaeda-Iraq has been significantly degraded, but it remains capable of horrific bombings. Militia extremists have been disrupted, but they retain influence in many areas. Criminals have been apprehended, but far too many still roam Iraqi streets and intimidate local citizens and Iraqi officials. We and our Iraqi partners will have to deal with each of these challenges in the New Year to keep the situation headed in the right direction.
While the progress in a number of areas is fragile, the security improvements have significantly changed the situation in many parts of Iraq. It is now imperative
that we take advantage of these improvements by looking beyond the security arena and helping Iraqi military and political leaders as they develop solutions in other areas as well, solutions they can sustain over time. At the tactical level, this means an increasing focus on helping not just Iraqi Security Forces–with whom we must partner in all that we do–but also helping Iraqi governmental organizations as they endeavor to restore basic services, to create employment opportunities, to revitalize local markets, to refurbish schools, to spur local economic activity, and to keep locals involved in contributing to local security. We will have to do all of this, of course, while continuing to draw down our forces, thinning our presence, and gradually handing over responsibilities to our Iraqi partners. Meanwhile, at the national level, we will focus on helping the Iraqi Government integrate local volunteers into the Iraqi Security Forces and other employment, develop greater ministerial capacity and capability, aid displaced persons as they return, and, most importantly, take the all-important political and economic actions needed to exploit the opportunity provided by the gains in the security arena.
The pace of progress on important political actions to this point has been slower than Iraqi leaders had hoped. Still, there have been some important steps taken in recent months. Iraq’s leaders reached agreement on the Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation with the United States, which lays the groundwork for an enduring relationship between our nations. The United Nations Security Council approved Iraq’s request for a final renewal of the resolution that authorizes the Coalition to operate in Iraq. Iraq’s leaders passed an important Pension Law that not only extends retirement benefits to Iraqis previously left out but also represents the first of what we hope will be additional measures fostering national reconciliation. And Iraq’s leaders have debated at length a second reconciliation-related measure, the Accountability and Justice Bill (the de-Ba’athification Reform Law), as well as the 2008 National Budget, both which likely will be brought up for a vote in early 2008. Even so, all Iraqi participants recognize that much more must be done politically to put their country on an irreversible trajectory to national reconciliation and sustainable economic development. We will, needless to say, work closely with our Embassy teammates to support the Iraq Government as it strives to take advantage of the improved security environment by pursing political and economic progress.
The New Year will bring many changes. Substantial force rotations and adjustments already underway will continue. One Army brigade combat team and a Marine Expeditionary Unit have already redeployed without replacement. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Throughout that time, we will continue to adapt to the security situation as it evolves. And in the midst of all the changes, we and our Iraqi partners will strive to maintain the momentum, to press the fight, and to pursue Iraq’s enemies relentlessly. Solutions to many of the tough problems will continue to be found at your level, together with local Iraqi leaders and with your Iraqi Security Force partners, in company and battalion areas of operation and in individual neighborhoods an towns. As you and your Iraqi partners turn concepts into reality, additional progress will emerge slowly and fitfully. Over time, we will gradually see fewer bad days and accumulate more good days, good weeks, and good months.
The way ahead will not be easy. Inevitably, there will be more tough days and tough weeks. Unforeseen challenges will emerge. And success will require continued hard work, commitment, and initiative from all involved. As we look to the future, however, we should remember how far we have come in the past year. Thanks to the tireless efforts and courageous actions of the Iraqi people, Iraq’s political and military leaders, the Iraqi Security Forces, and each of you, a great deal has been achieved in 2007. Thus, as we enter a new year, we and our Iraqi partners will have important accomplishments and a newfound sense of hope on which we can build.
As always, all or your leaders, our fellow citizens back home, and I deeply appreciate the dedication, professionalism, commitment, and courage you display on a daily basis. It remains the greatest of honors to serve with each of you in this critical endeavor.
Sincerely,
David H. Petraeus
