Editorial: Finding the honest critics

Friday, Jan. 13, 2006 | 8:03 a.m.

In a speech to U.S. military veterans earlier this week, President Bush said Democrats who criticize his Iraq policy could be giving "comfort to our adversaries" and suggested they temper the criticism or face losing out in November's midterm elections.

The Associated Press reports that the president was speaking to more than 400 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the same Washington hotel ballroom where last month he admitted to making major errors in the early efforts to rebuild Iraq.

On Tuesday Bush said he welcomes "honest critics," but not those who say we are at war "because of oil, or because of Israel or because we misled the American people." In his attempt to steer the direction of debate for November's elections, Bush said Americans should insist on discourse that "brings credit to our democracy, not comfort to our adversaries."

Strong words from a president whose administration and Republican supporters have shown little tolerance for any type of criticism.

Barely two months ago Bush-backing Republican leaders attacked Rep. John Murtha, who called for withdrawing American troops from Iraq. Murtha is hardly a dove when it comes to war. The Pennsylvania Democrat is a former U.S. Marine intelligence officer who earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. And in 2002 he voted in favor of taking U.S. military action against Saddam Hussein.

It would seem, then, that Murtha's November remarks would be the type of honest criticism Bush claims to welcome. At the time, however, Bush agreed with Vice President Dick Cheney, who called such critics "reprehensible." If Bush wants to encourage Americans to embrace honest critics, he should start by learning to recognize one.