Bush vetoes Iraq bill

Those who know me know I was against the Iraq War from the start, for reasons I don't have time to explain in this brief post. But once we got into Iraq, I have always believed that we have an obligation to finish the job. What matters is not whether we should have gone into or Iraq or not, whether the planning was flawed, the mistakes that were made or not made, nor whether "the polls" say the war is popular or not. What matters is : do we want to win or lose? And the Democrats plan gives the enemy a timetable for victory and a loss for the Iraqi people and our troops. Everything that our troops and the Iraqi government have worked and died for would be in vain.

So I was quite pleased to see President Bush do the right thing in vetoing the Iraq bill. Key Quotes from his veto speech:

...members of the House and the Senate passed a bill that substitutes the opinions of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders. So a few minutes ago, I vetoed the bill.

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It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq.

I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments.

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Third, the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non- emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror. Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits, and not as a part of an emergency funding bill for our troops.

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In January, General Petraeus was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the United States Senate. In February, we began sending the first of the reinforcements he requested.

Not all these reinforcements have arrived in Baghdad. And as General Petraeus has said, it will be the end of the summer before we can assess the impact of this operation. (Which is when the Democratic plan would have troops begin leaving Iraq - ed.)

All emphasis mine. Hat tip to Ann Althouse.