election 2008 from the eyes of an ebony mom

For the past 6 years we have been engaged in a war that was waged almost unilaterally. The US tried to get our usual allies to stand with us but we were unsucessful. Our philosophy was shoot first and ask questions later. Once the real questions were asked we found there were no weapons of mass destruction and since that time we have changed the reasons that we invaded Iraq in the first place. Now we see our lame duck president taking pot shots at a new strategy that includes discussion prior to agression. He has questioned the wisdom of talking with our enemies and suggested that this is almost delusional. This morning in Isreal President Bush said “Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: ‘Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.’ We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.” Sen. Obama responded to this attack by saying “George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the president’s extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel.” The Prseident is in no position to take aim at Sen. Obama. It is often asked when a president leaves office, “are you better off then you were 8 years ago?” The answer is sadly no.  Whoever is elected president will have to find a way to deal with conflict and hopefully they will not use the acts of their predecessor as a blueprint. shame on you Mr. President.