DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 7:00 pm
OMAHA — The Bush administration will “keep national security at the top of the agenda this election year,” Vice President Dick Cheney told a Republican audience Tuesday.
Some Democratic leaders want to weaken the tools the administration uses to identify and track terrorists, Cheney said, while others would “give up the fight (and) retreat” from Iraq.
President Bush will rely on commanders in the field to determine the troop levels “needed for victory” in Iraq, Cheney said, rather than listen to polls or “artificial timelines set by politicians in Washington, D.C.”
The president will continue to pursue terrorists with all the tools at his disposal, the vice president said, recognizing the enemy “likely has combatants inside the United States.”
Voters will have an opportunity in some of this year’s national congressional elections to “reject resignation and defeatism,” Cheney said.
Cheney’s four-hour visit to Nebraska dramatized his tie between election-year politics and the war on terror. After addressing a fund-raising reception for Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in downtown Omaha, the vice president journeyed to nearby Offutt Air Force Base to thank the troops for their military service.
Fortenberry, the 1st District freshman congressman, was praised by Cheney as “a dependable voice” for economic growth, job creation and national defense.
“He’s off to a terrific start,” Cheney said. “The president and I need Jeff to keep the economy strong.”
The event at the Hilton Omaha was held in the heart of Republican Rep. Lee Terry’s 2nd District rather than in the Lincoln congressman’s home district. Fortenberry said an Omaha site was chosen to accommodate Cheney’s desire to visit Offutt.
Terry was one of perhaps 150 people who attended the $250-per-ticket event. A VIP photo opportunity with the vice president was available to couples contributing $1,500. Proceeds will be shared with the Nebraska Republican Party.
Republican Senate nominee Pete Ricketts accompanied Cheney on Air Force Two when the vice president flew home to Wyoming after the Nebraska events. Cheney tossed in a plug for Ricketts during his 20-minute address.
While the administration is determined to protect tax cuts, control federal spending and promote immigration reform, Cheney said, “the first order of business in Washington is to protect the American people.”
That determination is accompanied by support for “the men and women who defend us in a time of war,” he said.
Withdrawal from Iraq at this time would “simply validate the al-Qaida strategy and invite more attacks,” the vice president said.
“We must not let up for a moment,” he declared.
Although the terrorist network has been “weakened and fractured,” he said, it remains lethal and determined.
“With George Bush leading,” Cheney promised, “we will not let down our guard.”
Following the event, Fortenberry’s Democratic challenger, Maxine Moul, issued a statement calling for a plan to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq safely.
“I will fight to make sure that our soldiers have clear benchmarks and goals so that we can measure our success in Iraq, complete our mission, and begin bringing our troops home,” Moul said.
Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.