http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/182746p-158589c.htmlThe
Iraqi battleground



At this point, President Bush is running against himself. With the situation in
Iraq tenuous, he finds himself in a race against time to straighten it out. Our
economy is improving, but chaos on an overseas battlefield is emerging as the
endgame issue in the 2004 election.
Wisely, John Kerry has said little about the Iraq fighting. You don't criticize
the commander-in-chief in the middle of a firefight. That could be construed as
putting U.S. forces in jeopardy and undermining morale. Kerry would be smart to
keep it zipped.

Also, the senator can read the polls. President Bush is sinking into the morass
that Iraq is threatening to become. If things are this messed up over there in
October, Kerry won't have to say a word. He can wave at the voters, and they'll
wave him right into the White House.

So Bush must stabilize things in Iraq over the next few months, or he goes the
way of Lyndon Johnson. Can he do that in a land rife with fanatics and
terrorists?

Bush should expect no help from the elite media. They have been grossly unfair
to him on the economic front and will spin negative on Iraq as well. There's no
question that Bush has made policy mistakes, but economic growth in the country
is jumping and job creation is rising. When the economy is discussed by the
elites, though, there's always the "but" factor. But Harvey in Ohio lost his
job to Ramal in Calcutta. What about that?

Bush has done a good job on the economy, especially since we are in the middle
of World War III. The 9/11 attack set back any dramatic economic recovery for
years. Let's be honest about that.

By November, most Americans will have a Republican-driven picture of the
economy. The Bush people have nearly $200 million to buy ads trumpeting their
economic achievements. But Iraq is quite something else. Americans will not go
for another Vietnam. A war of attrition is not going to cut it, especially
since the removal of Saddam was sold as a quick, surgical action with overjoyed
Iraqis at the end of the rainbow. That obviously has not happened.

So the race is on to stabilize Iraq and fast. The terrorists know Bush is up
for reelection and, interestingly, it seems like they want W out. An increase
in terrorist activity would signify that, wouldn't it?

The President does have a fighting chance, however. Osama Bin Laden could be
caught, and the Iraqi fanatics could be beaten to their knees. If those things
happen, Bush wins. But if the terrorists remain the aggressors, say hello to
First Lady Teresa Heinz Kerry.