The Democrats opposition to democracy

Oliver North:

For three years, politicians and pundits have been challenging the president's policy of spreading democracy around the world. Can't be done, particularly in the Middle East, they tell us. Won't help to make us safer, they claim. It's become a mantra of the left. To support their assertion that democracy has reached inevitable limits, they cite problems in Afghanistan with a resurgent Taliban and, of course, the U.S. "failure" in Iraq. Both of these issues were raised repeatedly with President Bush during his news conference on the economy this week.

Despite evidence of progress on the ground in Iraq, the masters of the media intend to continue their barrage of defeatism, and the majority in Congress appear unwilling to desist in their attacks. The mainstream media all but ignored news releases from Iraqi and coalition commands on successes against both Iranian-backed terror cells in Baghdad's Sadr City and Al Qaeda's network in Northern Iraq, Salahuddin, Diyala and Anbar provinces.

Instead of covering these stories with in-depth reporting from the front, the potentates of the press launched a shock-and-awe campaign of their own. The target? The Iraqi Parliament -- for taking a monthlong recess in the midst of a war.

Perhaps the media and politicians who are so outraged that the Iraqi legislature is on vacation should learn a bit of history. The British Parliament recessed for all but one holiday -- the summer of 1940 -- throughout World War II. In keeping with this democratic tradition, the U.S. Congress has done the same thing during every war we have fought, including our own Revolution.

...

There is, however, a way to reach the American people while our Congress is on vacation....

Now is the time to change the paradigm, Mr. President. Your visit will confound America's adversaries and reassure our allies. The troops will be forever grateful. And most Americans will admire you for going because it's the right thing to do.

It could happen. North laments the lack of effect from the good news coming out of Iraq. I suspect that those committed to defeat will not change their commitment whatever paradigms are changed. We just have to find a way to defeat them too.