Cal Thomas Has An Interesting Suggestion
Cal Thomas suggests that President Bush meet with Cindy Sheehan again, but not alone or in private. His idea is to meet with Sheehan in a public setting, along with other parents (some of which support the effort in Iraq), as well as with soldiers that are currently serving and with Iraqis who suffered under Saddam’s regime. He also proposes including other administration officials, specifically Donald Rumsfeld, to address some of the questions about the war effort.
His idea is not a bad one, but it is politically risky, and I don’t think Cindy Sheehan would even choose to attend if she did not get a private meeting in which she would control the description of the President’s words and behavior given to the media, rather than letting the public see for themselves. In holding such a meeting, the President would most likely be accused of using Sheehan and others for propaganda purposes, as well.
Thomas admits that such a meeting would set a bad precedent, and I am generally against giving in in any way to demands made on the President by any individual, especially one spouting loony and offensive anti-Israel propaganda. A meeting like Thomas describes, however, is interesting to consider and might just give the public a better picture of the true situation in Iraq as opposed to the all-bad-news-all-the-time drumbeat heard from the MSM. Of course, unless such a meeting was carried by the networks live, in prime time, the only part of it that would be seen by the public would be 30 second clips of any verbal attacks on the President made by any anti-war factions present.
While it is important to wage a smarter and more aggressive public information campaign at home, and innovative ideas should be considered, what is most important is to continue to wage the war there in a way that can lead to a stable and secure Iraq. That is what is ultimately going to affect public opinion at home.
(Link via Lucianne)
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