The President, the War in Iraq and American Soldiers

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President Bush today gave General David Petraeus the pause in troop reductions he asked for.  When the surge ends in July, American forces will remain 140,000 strong. We get the reactions of soldiers and families.  Also, how does Bush measure up to his White House mentor?

White House photo: Eric Draper

Main Topic

Bush Speech Caps Week of Iraq Testimony ()

President Bush today accepted the recommendations of General David Petraeus. The draw-down of troops from Iraq will stop when the "surge" ends in July. Democratic leaders of Congress said, "He's just dragging this out, leaving a failed war and a failed economy on the doorstep of the next president." Because of strains on the troops, Mr. Bush also reduced tours of duty from 15 months to 12, but that won't start until August. We talk with soldiers about the state of morale after six years of war.  What do multiple tours on the front lines mean for their families? What about recruitment, retention and readiness to meet future contingencies?  

Guests:

• Mark Silva: White House Correspondent, Chicago Tribune
• Carissa Picard: President, Military Spouses for Change
• Sig Christenson: Military Reporter, San Antonio Express-News
• Pete Hegseth: Executive Director, Vets for Freedom
• Brandon Friedman: Editor, VetVoice.com

Links:

• Response of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• Christenson's 'Inshallah' article
• Response of Senate Leader Harry Reid
• Friedman's 'The War I Always Wanted: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War'

Reporter's Notebook

Bush's Quest for a Presidential Legacy ()

George W. Bush's father was president before him, but the current White House incumbent has said, "I think if I had to have a mentor… it would have been Ronald Reagan." Now another father-son team has written a book about how well Bush lives up to the Reagan legacy. Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy is a new book that compares Bush's presidency to that his mentor. Carl Cannon has covered the Bush White House for several publications. His co-author and father is Lou Cannon, who covered Ronald Reagan for the Washington Post.

Guests:

• Lou Cannon: author, 'Reagan’s Disciple'

Links:

• Excerpt from 'Reagan's Disciple'

Host

Warren Olney

Considered the dean of Southern California broadcast journalists, Warren tackles the issues Southern Californians care about. Expanding that concept, To the Point deals with issues of national concern and is on air in most major metropolitan markets across the country. On any day, you’ll hear a fast-paced, news-based talk show featuring multiple perspectives on a single major issue, with Newsmaker and Reporters Notebook features, as well. 

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Katie Cooper, Dan Konecky, Sonya Geis

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