Bush Going For Broke With Troop Surge
60 Minutes Exclusive: President Has Made Up His Mind And Takes Full Responsibility
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Play CBS Video Video Pres. Bush Candid About Iraq Scott Pelley interviews President Bush after he delivered a major speech to the nation on his new Iraq strategy. Bush traveled from the White House to Fort Benning and to Camp David.
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Video Bush, Pelley At Camp David Only On The Web: More of President Bush's talk with Scott Pelley, walking the grounds of Camp David and discussing Bush's popularity and how he stays in touch with the average American.
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President Bush, speaking to Scott Pelley at Camp David. (CBS)
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In The Spotlight Bush's New Iraq Strategy A glimpse at some of the key elements in President Bush's new plan for Iraq.
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Who's Who Congress Reacts To Plan Reaction to President Bush's new Iraq stategy, which includes an increase in troops.
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Interactive Bush Presidency The president's agenda, plus facts, figures, major events and key personalities.
Thursday morning, leaving the White House, Mr. Bush started a campaign to sell the country on the new plan. Just 12 hours after his address to the nation, his strategy was already being savaged on Capitol Hill and in the media. He had wagered the war and his presidency on his personal ability to sell the troop build-up. Pelley joined the president on board his helicopter, Marine One, a scene the public almost never sees.
The overnight polls were showing his primetime address to the nation hadn’t convinced many people that sending more troops was the answer.
"This was a hard decision. But once I make up my mind I know it’s important for me to explain it as clearly as I can. And, just gave it my best shot and I’m going to go down to Fort Benning today to continue explaining the decision I made, in this case to men and women who wear the uniform,” Bush tells Pelley. “I owe it to the troops to explain my decision and to thank them and to thank their families. It’s an extraordinary country to have men and women volunteer in the face of danger."
Mr. Bush, realizing he had never had a TV camera on board Marine One, urged 60 Minutes to catch the Washington Monument going by. He had been reading a book on the history of the city and pointed out landmarks on Pennsylvania Avenue. He told Pelley he is reading another book, a historical parallel to Iraq about France’s long, losing fight against insurgents in Algeria; Henry Kissinger had recommended it. In minutes, Marine One reached Andrews Air Force Base and Air Force One.
At Fort Benning, the president would be able to count on a friendly audience. But even among Americans in uniform there’s growing frustration. A poll, three weeks ago in the respected Military Times newspapers, showed, for the first time more troops disapprove than approve of the way he’s handling Iraq.
Pelley mentioned to Mr. Bush that thousands of those troops have served two, three and even four tours already and if he would impose a limit.
"You know, Scott, it is…we’re fortunate that people are willing to continue to serve. I’ve talked to some wives in there whose husbands have been over there for their second time. I said, ‘How you doin’?’ ‘I’m doing fine, my husband understands what we’re doing.’ The military is motivated," Bush says.
"In Vietnam as you know, you served 365 and you were done," Pelley remarks.
"This is a different situation. This is a volunteer army. In Vietnam, it was, ‘We’re going to draft you and you’re going to go for a year.’ This is a military where people understand there may be additional deployments," Bush says.
Next during the visit to Fort Benning came something Mr. Bush told 60 Minutes was the hardest part of his presidency: facing families whose loved ones were killed after he sent them into battle. Over the years he has met with about 400 families.
After two hours in a meeting, he seemed a different man.
"How was all that?" Pelley asks.
"You know, I … it’s hard for the family members to recount, relive their love in front of the president. And yet, once you get beyond the initial meeting, it’s amazing how strong the folks are and want to just let me know a lot of things. What their son or husband was like. They want me to know generally how much they understood the cause and how proud they were to serve our country," Bush says.
"What are stories you heard today?" Pelley asks.
"You know, one mom says ‘My son was 6’5", good-looking guy,’ showed me the picture. ‘He was in a Humvee and an IED hit and he was so big, his body shielded four other troops from death.’ I said ‘Well, did you get to meet the other four?’ And she said ‘They’re like my family now.’ You know, a lot of them say ‘Mr. President, don’t let my son die in vain,’" Bush says.
The president told Pelley he reads the casualty report every morning and personally signs every letter to the families of Americans killed in action.
After a last pass by the troops in Fort Benning, he headed back to the White House and would meet 60 Minutes again the next morning at Camp David.
Produced By Harry Radliffe, Shawn Efran and Graham Messick
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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See all 984 CommentsOnly in America could a C student become president. Let me clarify, if you are African-American and a C student, you cannot become the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. But, if you are White, you can become president.
Go Obama! Keep hope alive!!!!!
Blessings,
Janice Bishop LeMelle
I opposed the Viet Nam War from the get go because I knew it was totally unnecessary and unwinable -- as the French well knew from prior experience.
I opposed the Iraq War from the get go because I knew it was totally unnecessary and unwinable -- as the British well knew from prior experience.
If you favor waging war then you *** well better have a plan to pay for it. Don't put the burden on future generations because you are afraid to ask the current generation to pay the price.
It's totally insane and irresponsible to wage war and at the same time reduce taxes. No President in our history has ever done that before the Bush-Cheney Regime came along.
http://www.brlsi.org/proceed04/P162.jpg
You sound like an very stupid person. It is a shame that you home school your children and you don't know how to spell. You also keep them stupid by not letting them interact with the world except to watch "our great president"
The prospect of a troop increase in Afghanistan, at the same time Bush is ordering 21,500 more troops into Iraq, raises new questions about the military's ability to sustain its war-fighting on two major fronts. There now are about 24,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the senior American commander here, said is the highest since the war began in October 2001.
"PELLEY: The Democrat leadership says, "We wanna support the troops who are on the ground. We just wanna redline the extra 20,000.""
Hey Scott. And the rest of you so-called liberal MSM journo butt-heads listen up too: It's a sign of disrespect to call the Democratic party, its leadership and members the 'Democrat Leadership', the 'Democrat Party' etc. It's the 'DemocratIC leadership' and 'the DemocratIC Party to you, pal. That's a perjorative used by the Republicans. It's as bad as calling Republicans 'Repugs'.
The Democratic Party is now the majority in Congress, won fair and square by election. Show some respect. Do not be intimidated by an Administration representing a shrinking minority in all respects, from representation in Congress to failed policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fox News no longer calls the shots, no matter how loud they complain.
"PELLEY: Do you believe as commander-in-chief you have the authority to put the troops in there no matter what the Congress wants to do?
BUSH: In this situation, I do, yeah. Now, I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing it. But I made my decision, and we're going forward."
Now if that doesn't sound like Bush thumbing his nose at the constitution and the American people and provoking a constitutional crisis, I don't know what would. Solid grounds for impeachment, if you ask me.
Just another jackass lie to our nation & troops.
Join the millitary, if you support herr bush, or keep you neonazi ideals to yourself!
Zieg Hiel.
I sincerely will pray that Congress starts the impeachment process, for the sake of the country.
I sincerely will pray that Congress starts the impeachment process, for the sake of the country.
Posted by ourtomorrows at 01:00 AM : Jan 16, 2007
Citations please - just from a quick scan of some human rights non-profits, here are the democracy/press freedom/anti-corruption ranks for some of the countries you mentioned as well as some others to put it the figures into context... (http://www.worldaudit.org/democracy.htm)
Sweden - 4/2/5
USA - 15/11/17
Egypt - 98/92/57
Yemen - 135/132/96
LIBYA (your model for Arabic democracy) - 147 (out of 150 countries!!!!!)/146/90
Saudi Arabia - 119/130/157
Iraq - 130/118/143
Iran - 138/138/90
So in conclusion, yes Iraq could stand to 'improve' like it's 'model' neighbors. But if Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the models of democracy for the middle east, then why did they give rise to the 9/11 terrorists? I'm thinking this 'model' of democracy isn't really one we ought to be looking to for hope...
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