The rapid decline in public support for the war in Iraq is eerily similar to Vietnam, with one major difference, says Bob Schieffer, host/moderator of the Sunday talk show “Face the Nation”.
Schieffer, also chief Washington correspondent for CBS, talked with National Press Foundation Washington fellows Sunday. He said the American public, and political representatives, do not blame the troops for the failures in Iraq like they did during Vietnam; rather, they blame the policy, he said.
“It’s perhaps the only lesson we’ve learned, not to spit on the troops.”
The Vietnam veteran talked about the dissatisfaction among most Washington politicians over President Bush’s troop surge in Iraq. Most democrats outright oppose the plan, and even republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, won’t rule out the possibility of legislation reducing or eliminating funding in the future. McConnell toed the President’s line Sunday on “Face the Nation”, calling the troop surge Iraq’s last chance to step up its enforcement of sectarian violence and take back control of Baghdad.
Schieffer returned inside the Beltway in September after serving as interim anchor of the “CBS Evening News”. While he enjoyed his stint in New York City, he said, he never wanted the job permanently. “It just didn’t fit at this point in my career.” The lure of Washington politics and family makes the Capital City his home. He had nothing but praise for his successor in New York, Katie Couric.