Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, says President Bush must share a most detailed plan about U.S. military operations in Iraq. “Last night, President Bush spoke to the American people. I, like most Americans, wish he would have said more,” Boswell said in a prepared statement. “I fear the lack of dialogue between the President and the public does little to reassure Americans about how events in Iraq have been unfolding.” Boswell says he agrees with Bush that everyone must support the U.S. troops who are on duty in Iraq and Boswell says from his own visits to Iraq, he is confident the soldiers know their country is behind them. But Boswell says Bush has failed to adequately spell out what the U.S. objectives are in Iraq. “We cannot set a definite date for withdrawal, regardless of how things look on the ground,” Boswell said, reading from his statement. “However, a plan for victory with goals, objectives and ways to measure our success along the way is what the public needs and deserves.” Other Democrats have today (Wednesday) said there aren’t enough troops in Iraq to crackdown on the insurgents who’ve been setting off suicide bombs in Iraq. And while many Democrats also criticize Bush for invoking September 11th as one of the reasons for staying the course in Iraq, Boswell refuses to criticize Bush on that score.”If last night’s talk was a first step in a dialogue with the public, it will have proven to be a successful speech. If it was merely a stop-gap effort to boost sagging poll numbers, it will be a colossal missed opportunity,” Boswell said, again, as he read from a prepared text. “Even a trusting public gives a president so many opportunities.”
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