Speech and reactions – UPDATES

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face in marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

I’m probably the last kid to write something on the president’s speech last night – had other stuff going on – so I’m going to assume you guys have seen most of the “big fish” reactions.

My own? I thought it was a good speech, not delivered as well as some past Bush speeches, but well enough. I was glad to hear that this new tactic would also mean a change in how some things are done. I pray it will be enough to turn things around so that we might finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I think it will be a hard year.

I also think it’s good to hear a president admit a mistake in war (what war has ever gone perfectly) and to take full responsibility. In this day and age, where politicians continually point fingers elsewhere, that’s refreshing. I don’t have to say any more than that because everyone else is writing up a storm, so let’s look at some of it.

Jules Crittenden applauds Bush for embodying what his idea of real “leadership” is. He has a good roundup of others reactions, encapsulating their sentiments with each link, but his essay is also very good – very realistic and not sunny:

In war, death is a given. If and when it happens, it will mean that our soldiers have found and engaged the enemy, which I predict will die in much greater numbers.

The most immediate pitfall I see looming is that enemy has a headsup, and will attempt to melt away, using its advantage as an irregular native force to cache its weapons and stand on the street corner, whistling and acting normal, to bide its time.

This is why there must be provocations to draw them out. For starters, the beseiging and seizure of Moqtada al-Sadr and other criminal leaders, responsible for the murder of thousands. Relentless raids on their stronghold neighborhoods.

It won’t be pretty. As he said, there will be bloody days ahead. UPDATE: Jules has a new piece on cultivating the mindset to go into battle that is a must-read.

Ed Morrissey says Maliki may be more on board than the NY Times says.

CBS’ Dick Meyer counts all the different ways the president is alone in this piece, which makes Johnson/Vietnam comparisons and complains that we just don’t know this presdient very well. I don’t know how important it is for us to see a president dissembling and I think perhaps along with the Johnson/Vietnam comparisons, he could have included some Lincoln/Civil War comparisons which might be even more apt and which might have really given us something to think about (in terms of how time changes perceptions but some things never change) but read it for yourself and see what you think.

At NRO’s The Corner Michael Ledeen wonders we just declared war on Iran and Syria, while Larry Kudlow is saying the markets have confidence in Bush’s plan. We’ll see on both matters, won’t we?

Bill Roggio, who has been blogging from Iraq shares his thoughts on the speech. The kids at HRP meanwhile look at why it takes so long to train Iraqi security and troops.

Wizbang has lots of commentary. Lorie looks at the speech and some reaction, JayTea reviews where he thinks we went wrong in Iraq and Kim Priestap says “It has begun” as reports begin to come in about our troops in the Iranian consulate. Since the source is Iran, maybe let’s wait and see if that’s true? UPDATE: “At the Pentagon, a senior U.S. military official said the building was not a consulate and did not have any diplomatic status.”

Blue Crab gives the speech a B+ and has lots of links.

Mac’s Mind says the troops are getting a distinctive message from the left.

On a similar theme, Betsy Newmark excerpts from the WSJ about Dem cynicism.

AJ says America always defies pessimists.

Michelle Malkin is blogging from Baghdad.

Gotta run, things to do – back later!