The president held to his principles and vetoed the $124 billion emergency war spending measure that would have required him to begin withdrawing troops as early as July. I had joined the chorus of criticism of this administration, but seeing the president’s defense of his action during his press conference has caused me to reconsider.

There is no question that the casualties are incalculable from this Iraq conflict and war against terror. We’re not talking only about thousands of dead bodies, but also Bush’s credibility, Dick Cheney’s abysmal approval rating, the loss of both chambers in Congress and the possibility of annihilation in the ’08 congressional and presidential elections. The president’s secretary of state, along with key aides, have suffered severe credibility loss over what is perceived as the president’s blindness and stubbornness.

It’s easy to believe that we know everything about this war based on rumor, publication of books and public declarations; realistically, however, we’ve been shown very little. That which we’ve seen is not enough to dismiss the threats against us and the true reason why this administration is unwavering with Iraq: It believes it’s a matter of existence and nonexistence, life and death. Read more...