Thanks, Ellen! We're a pricy little banana republic, aren't we?

A

---

Tough-sounding address makes no mention of Iraq (San Diego Union Tribune)


By George E. Condon Jr.
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

January 21, 2005

WASHINGTON – President Bush delivered one of the more muscular, foreign-policy-dominated inaugural addresses in recent American history, using the speech to put leaders overseas on notice that he will be aggressive about spreading democracy and promoting human rights during his second term.


But with the nation embroiled in an increasingly unpopular war, he did not talk specifically about it, declining to mention the word "Iraq."

While the war's costs mount, the president pointedly did not ask the country for sacrifices to win the victory he promises. All he asked for was more patience.

In a country still divided over the Bush presidency and Iraq, Bush said little about healing in his speech yesterday.

For Bush partisans, however, there was everything they love – high-sounding proclamations of fealty to global democracy and spreading Western-style freedom and tough-sounding promises to use "force of arms when necessary" to protect U.S. interests.