December 3, 2005
The Stakes in Iraq
By Jon Kyl

"The republican principle demands that the deliberate sense of the community should govern the conduct of those to whom they entrust the management of their affairs; but it does not require an unqualified complaisance to every ... transient impulse which the people may receive from the arts of men."

- Alexander Hamilton The Federalist Papers, #71

President Bush gave an important speech last week that stems directly from Hamilton's observation that responsible leaders must at times rise above transient public opinion influenced by clever politicians to guide society toward the greater good.

Recognizing that the protests of anti-war activists, amplified by partisan attacks, have begun to affect public support for our presence in Iraq, the President took to the podium at the U.S. Naval Academy to remind the nation of the nature of the enemy we face in Islamic extremism. Perhaps his most important message was that victory in Iraq is a vital U.S. national interest: what happens there will either embolden terrorists to expand their reach, or deal them a decisive and crippling blow. In a world of instant soundbites about casualties, and politicians focused on the next election, it falls to the Commander-in-Chief to constantly remind us of the big picture.