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The media protocol before a primetime Presidential speech on network television is for the broadcast networks' major anchors to be invited to the White House for a luncheon briefing by the President himself. Thus all three network news anchor and their Sunday morning talkshow colleagues were able to report on George Bush's Return on Success speech tonight before it even happened. But it was not only the prospect of Bush's televised address that made the Iraq War the Story of the Day--there was actual news from Iraq as well. Sheikh abdul-Sattar abu-Risha, the al-Anbar ally with whom President Bush staged a photo-op last week, was assassinated.

Bush's briefing covered the short, medium and long term. In the short term, he will order troop levels to be reduced by 5,000 before Christmas: the units "were already scheduled to come home," ABC's White House correspondent Martha Raddatz pointed out, "but they will not be replaced." In the medium term, he has decided that July 2008 will be the date to complete the so-called surge, ending the temporary increase of troop levels by 30,000 that he ordered in January of this year, even though, as David Gregory (no link), NBC's man on the White House beat noted, "the fundamental rationale for the surge--political reconciliation in Iraq--has not happened."

The long term plan was emphasized by NBC anchor Brian Williams and his colleague Tim Russert (no link) of Meet the Press. Williams foresaw a "US presence in Iraq long after the Bush Presidency is over" and Russert called it an "enduring strategic relationship…economic and military and diplomatic." Williams mentioned the permanent US military presence on the Korean Peninsula as the model for Bush's thinking. On ABC, This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos (no link) noted the same "striking analogy" in the President's mind: "He believes that whoever replaces him--like General Eisenhower when he replaced Harry Truman--may criticize the President's policy during the campaign but will likely continue much of it in office."

All three networks agreed on what troop levels Bush intends to bequeath to his successor: "between 90,000 and 100,000"--CBS' Jim Axelrod (no link); "about 100,000"--ABC's Stephanopoulos; "from 90,000 to 110,000"--NBC's Russert. Does this deployment spread the military too thin? CBS anchor Katie Couric (no link) quoted the Commander in Chief as denying such a danger. "In fact, as long as there are no other hot spots, he says, he does not know of a more strategically important place for US troops to be than the Middle East."

As for this week's Congressional hearings, CBS' Couric found Bush "visibly angry" and NBC's Russert called him "absolutely outraged…very energized" about the moveon.org newspaper ad that insinuated that Gen David Petraeus could "betray us" by spinning his testimony to favor White House policies. When the President declared he wanted to find "common ground" with Congressional Democrats, NBC's Russert recounted that Bush was asked what that meant: "Accept Gen Petraeus' report," came the reply. Mused Russert: "This is a man who really is in no mood to compromise."

Andrew Tyndall 9/21/07 4:58:10 pm

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