December 4, 2005

Reid Says President Must End Marketing Campaign and Lay Out Real Strategy for Iraq

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) released the following statement today in response to a report in The New York Times that White House public opinion advisor Peter Feaver authored the document, "Our National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," a document President Bush characterized as "an unclassified version of the strategy we've been pursuing in Iraq."

"The Bush White House will do anything to avoid leveling with the American people. It'll pay newspaper columnists, buy good news in the Middle East and hire a marketing consultant to author a palatable strategy in Iraq. That's not leadership, and it's not going to get the job done so our troops can come home.

"Americans are tired of the President acting like a Campaigner in Chief when what we need is a Commander in Chief. In the coming weeks, the President has promised to deliver a series of speeches on Iraq. Instead of relying on the latest buzzwords and public opinion data, he should use these opportunities to put an end to the marketing campaign. We've had enough glossy cover pages and poll-tested phrases. What we need from the White House is a plan for success. Only the President, not a marketing advisor, can give America that."

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