freeSpeech: Bob Schieffer

CBS News' Chief Washington Correspondent Says The President's Foreign Policy Is Not Working

(CBS)  At his news conference today, the President put it in the starkest terms.

He said the stakes in Iraq couldn't be higher. He said if "we leave before the job is done, the enemy's coming after us."

That's about the hardest sell he could make. But whether he is right or wrong, it is going to take a hard sell because most Americans simply do not agree. More than anything, today's news conference underlines the serious political problem that Iraq has become for Republicans as they go into the fall elections.

The CBS News poll out this week showed a majority of Americans believe we should not have gone to Iraq, that we should reduce troop levels or pull our troops out and that if we pulled all our troops out, the terrorist threat would not be affected one way or the other.

When President Johnson became bogged down in Vietnam and the military urged him to send in more troops, he turned to outside advisers — the wise men of the foreign policy establishment — trusted friends who were not afraid to tell him the truth.

It's time for this president to do the same thing. His advisers are good people, but the policy just isn't working. For sure, that is what a majority of Americans has concluded.

The President needs new eyes to look at all this and some new ideas. He knows what the people who work for him think. He needs to talk to some people who don't work for him.

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Bob Schieffer is broadcast journalism's most experienced Washington reporter. He is CBS News' Chief Washington Correspondent and also serves as anchor and moderator of Face The Nation, CBS News' Sunday public affairs broadcast.

Schieffer served as interim anchor of The CBS Evening News from March 10, 2005 until Aug. 31, 2006. He will be a regular contributor to The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

[mailpro56]

Maybe you should change 'Free Speech' to 'Bush Bashing with Uncle Bob'...what is this the fourth segment he has been given?

[mwe3wm]

As always I want to thank CBS for this forum. Being able to speak my mind, in 1500 characters or less, and have those comments appear in the context I intended is a great consideration extended to me by CBS.

I also appreciate that Katie Couric stated on tonight broadcast that Mr. Schieffer would be making weekly editorials. This cleared up the confusion I and others were experiencing when seeing Mr. Schieffer on the Free Speech segment so often. I do miss his daily visits into my home with his brief sympathetic or funny comments depending on the situation. I welcome his views as well as the others we have heard.

As for the comments tonight I think that Mr. Schieffer is stating the obvious. Mr. Bush and his administration does need as set of new eyes.

I look forward to more editorials from Mr. Schieffer but I would hope that CBS makes every effort to diversify the speakers. This forum is mostly used for sniping between bloggers, but once in a while someone says something that makes sense and progresses the topic at hand. The Free Speech forum can do that as well. Keep up the good work CBS.

Michael Edwards
Texas
[e-mail]

[trailboss49]

Let us pray to God that whatever advice our present President receives it is better than the garbage that LBJ got and the political mess he made out of what should have been a short lived military conflict.

[joeshields56]

New eyes and new ideas is good.

We are all anxious to hear Jim Baker's report on Iraq to the President. I know we won't hear about it until after the elections, but maybe he'll start sharing some of his thoughts with the White House before then. Time is of the essence.

It felt great tonight to hear on the News, President Bush admitting that if the plan isn't working then maybe we need to change. Americans disagree with their President not because they dislike him or wish him to fail. To the contrary, all Americans WANT to support our President regardless of party affiliations. Elections are hard fought and there is always some resentment right after... but once the President raises his hand and takes the oath of office we are bound together, the people with their President.

We are on the same journey, we mark each landmark with interest. When we go off course, there should be no cause for panic or mutiny. The captain with the aid of his officers applies a course correction. It is only because we have been "drifting sideways" for such a long time without correction that it has become obvious to the whole crew (or at least 66% of us) that we are heading in the wrong direction.

So listen to Mr. Baker and others and make your course correction, Mr. President. Only hurry. We have a long way to make up and we are running low on provisions.

[edwinpurcell]

I am so impressed by the wonderful commentary by Bob Schieffer. In my mind, this is advancing him into the realm of the truly illustrious news journalists like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite. If only the president could appreciate the wisdom of his words.

[ech0e]

Schieffer is up at bat again? (he was given the privilege of the 'free speach' spot already). I have a hard time believing that there was a shortage of citizens ready to fill this spot.. I thought the 'Free Speach' segment was supposed to be a platform for the 'average' citizen'? Come on CBS, make it about the 'news' not about a political agenda. Schieffer's position has been well expressed already. While I am interested in the opinions of my fellow Americans, I am not interested in the opinions of journalists; they are supposed to report facts. There was a time when the sign of a good journalist was the inability to ascertain their opinion of the story they are reporting on.. While I would give a pass for whatever opinion he wanted to express on one ocassion, twice in so many weeks.. Just doesn't pass the 'smell test'..

[davros69]

I again, Bob just puts his foot in his mouth agian. why, because he is so out of touch of what is happening. Always going to to the Vietam war he helped defeat us. what will it take him to realize he is the problem, not America.

[dstanley102]

I am stunned to read the few negative comments posted against Bob's commentary. You fail to state cleary your objections and you generalize your opinions that could fit anyone, potentially any subject. If you are going to find fault then state your case clearly that others may sit in judgment of you as well. Your ramblings are further diminished by your lack of support; your own.

I commend Bob for his insightful, clear, concise, provocative, illuminating style. While informative he engenders civility, integrity, wisdom and the all too fleeting but refreshing TRUTH. Bless you Bob, Katie and others as you inform us nightly.

Bob we miss you daily and Katie you are well simply put AWESOME ~ Welcome to CBS

Dr. Stanley
Raleigh, NC

[kpdkpd1]

Katie,

Why wasn't I warned about these repugnant views?

[ech0e]

"kpdkpd1" let me 'connect the dots' for you, as I suspect your comment may be directed at least partially at my post. There are two distinct thoughts/opinions reflected in my post. 1) As I recall, the 'Free Speech' segment was billed as an opportunity to hear the myriad of perspectives out there in the viewing public. 2) Journalism is about reporting facts; not opinion. I'll invite a journalist into my home each night if they report the facts and not opinion. I will also invite the opinions of my fellow Americans (Schieffer included) into my home each night, regardless of whether or not I agree with them.. But to have a "journalist" come into my home each week and espouse his opinions under the guise of what is supposed to be a platform for the public. I am sorry, I find something very disingenuous about that. This is of course, my humble opinion. BTW, opinions are often not backed up with facts, they are just that, opinions. If I were making an argument, then I would back it up with facts.

[frankly6]

Here we go again with another example of the liberal media! I say stay the course! Support our troops! 9/11! Don't cut-n-run! Family values! United we stand!

Uhhh.......I'm out of slogans here. Now what? Well actually what Bob sad makes sense. No! I must resist...how can this be? This doesn't fit my world view. I always get in trouble when I stray from FOX news where Bush is a genius and the GOP are doing a heck of a job.

[ech0e]

ooops. my previous post was directed to 'dwstanley102'. my apologies to 'kpdkpd1'

[joeshields56]

New eyes and new ideas should most definitely include some from the Muslim world. Even if President Bush doesn't want to talk directly with them, some of his Secretaries or Under-Secretaries should do so.

Remember that the Cuban Missle crisis was mainly defused through back channels to the Kremlin. "Through a Soviet intelligence officer and member of the KGB, Georgi Bolshakov, Robert Kennedy attempted to shape and relay messages and negotiations between the two superpowers in question. [Later], Robert Kennedy would play the role of messenger and negotiator with the Soviet ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Dobrynin."
--from "The Role Of Bobby Kennedy Throughout The Cuban Missile Crisis"
http://www.freeessays.cc/db/38/pbk200.shtml

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently said that the "Iranian nation is in favor of logic and dialogue". Could opening up a dialogue with Iran be a source of new ideas about Iraq? You don't have to agree 100% with someone before you can talk with them.

[hamiltongrad]

Repeat for Bob ?
Why not have Rush on every week ?

[darylslove]

Personally, this thing about indecent exposure out of young women is getting way, out of hand. I say it is sickening to see any of trhem exposing themselves by undoing their collars when they need to button their upper necks in long sleeves without ties, broaches, etc. We need modesty restored for The Bible says for them to in I Timothy 2:9-10. Collars need to be worn like turtlenecks so they'll look glamorous and presentable. When they don't, they abuse their rights to pro-choice. They don't need to be basshed. They just need to protect themselves from being harassed at work for it is their own faults they complain all the time. All I'm saying is for them to protect themselves. If they think look funny or retarded, they need to guess again. Rights aren't meant to be abused. They must be used properly. I've already sent legislation to Congress to declare any indecency illegal. And that is how I put it.



Darryl Rutherford

[michaelz06]

First a suggestion for "darylslove".....if it isn't on topic, don't post it. Second, although I personally agree with Bob's commentary, I find myself also ageeing with those who question, why Bob? Surely there must be plenty of ordinary citizens with opinions and willing to share them in "free speech". To Davros69, reporters, journalists, even "liberal media", call them what you will....they didn't defeat us in Vietnam. Micromanaging politicians did that. Bob used it to make a point, beyond his point Vietnam has little relevance. In comparision to what our military faces in Iraq, the Viet Cong could be considered a completely uniformed military organization in plain view.

[mh4cbs1]

Stay the Course! The stock market is doing great, massive tax cuts for the us wealthy folks, war profits are Up Up Up. As soon as we get rid of Social Security we can have even more tax cuts!

So whats the problem, you liberal whinners! Don't have the stomach for War! 655,000 dead Iraqis bother you? Didn't have the money for college and had to join the Army? Wah Wah Wah

Thank you Bush for all you've done to help me get even more rich. We can laugh all the way to the bank, just like Ralph Reed, Tom Delay and our good buddy Jack Abramoff, till they got caught (so stupid to keep those emails).

No Way are we leaving Iraq without that Oil! If people start voting for the liberal cut-and-run Democrats, we'll just have to scare the American Sheeple some more so they vote GOP again, and we can spend even more on war and my stocks will go up even more. Love it! And now we can toss the loud mouths into some Gitmo somewhere and throw away the key. No lawyers, courts, nothing can save them Ha Ha Ha Poor middle class that voted for you, sniff, sniff -- What chumps!!

[borntwice-2009]

John - 1:13. They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

[borntwice-2009]

All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ this new birth changes us from the inside out. Rearranging our attidudes, desires, and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parents' family. Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God's family. Have you asked Christ to make you a new person? This fresh start in life is available to all who believe in Christ.

[one_american]

Bob,

You are repeating the same stupid rhetoric from the 60's.

Liberals just don't have a clue about anything, including foreign policy, so just keep your lunacy to yourself!