many of us have expressed frustration with the president and his apparent unwillingness to go on the offensive against his critics on iraq. this hands-off approach seems to have changed recently. president bush has not only started giving some speeches including specifics about iraq, but also subjected himself to a round of serious questions with nbc’s brian williams, as well as the audience after his philly speech. here are excerpts from his speeches and the interview.

the president’s interview with nbc’s brian williams

on iraq:

President Bush: Well, John Murtha’s a fine guy. And he’s, you know, he served our nation admirably. I just think he’s wrong. I think the idea of having a, you know, a timetable for withdrawal, does three things that would be bad.

One, it emboldens the enemy. That’s precisely what they want. They want us to withdraw. And — and oh, by the way, here, we’re telling them when and how. And they will adjust accordingly.

Secondly, it sends a bad message to the Iraqis. We’ve said to the Iraqis, “We’ll help train you. We’ll stand with you. And we’ll get you on your feet so you can take the fight to the enemy.” And if our commanders on the ground say we’re not ready to, you know, stand down — a timetable would dispirit the Iraqis.

Finally, it’ll dispirit our troops. Because our troops know the mission hasn’t been completed. But strategy and my plans are these. I will listen to the commanders. I understand war is objective-based, not timetable-based. And we will complete this mission for the good of the country.

on the perception of the United States globally and especially in arab nations

answering questions in philly after his speech:

Q. Mr. President, I’m a proud U.S. citizen, naturalized, and card-carrying Republican. I voted for you both times. I grew in India, a Sunni. In fact, the President of the Republic of India is a Sunni. And I think it’s a great testimony to this nation that was — the vision of which was laid out within a few — half a mile of here, that somebody like me can be in a position of leadership and be successfully engaged in contributing to the current and future economic well-being of this nation. Mr. President, I support your efforts in Iraq. But I’d like to know what are we going to do in the broader battle in creating a favorable image and reaching out to people across the world, so that people like me all over the world can be passionate supporters of the United States.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I appreciate that. First of all, success will help the image of the United States. Look, I recognize we got an image issue, particularly when you got television stations, Arabic television stations that are constantly just pounding America, creating — saying America is fighting Islam, Americans can’t stand Muslims, this is a war against a religion. And we’ve got to, obviously, do a better job of reminding people that ours is not a nation that rejects religion; ours is a nation that accepts people of all faith, and that the great strength of America is the capacity for people to worship freely.

he understands the need to win the battle in the arab press. what he needs to find is an effective strategy in attacking the negative view of the united states in the arab world. our leaders need to be front-and-center on al-arabiya and al-jazeera, taking questions and presenting our case. if the people only see one side of the argument, it would be easy for them to believe what they are told about america and americans. we should do this, but after a good-faith effort to communicate with the arab world through their television stations, we should be prepared to accept that words may not be enough.

the president continues his answer.

It’s difficult. I mean, their propaganda machine is pretty darn intense. And so we’re constantly sending out messages, we’re constantly trying to reassure people, but we’re also — we’re also acting. And that’s what’s important for our citizens to realize. Our position in the world is such that I don’t think we can retreat. I think we have a duty and an obligation to use our vast influence to help.

I cite two examples of where I think it will make a big — of where American image in the Muslim world will be improved. One is the tsunami. The tsunamis hit; it was the United States military, through the USS Abraham Lincoln, that provided the logistical organization necessary to get the — to get the — to save a lot of lives. We moved. A lot of people kind of sat around and discussed; not us. We saw a problem and we moved.

Same in Pakistan. The earthquake in Pakistan is devastating. The United States of America was first on the scene. We got a lot of kids flying choppers all around that country providing help and aid.

And so I guess what I’m saying to you is, is that a proper use of influence that helps improve people’s lives is the best way to affect — to change the image of country, and to defeat the propaganda.

i agree with this. one way to win friends and influence people is to help with logistics and finances during natural disasters, such as the tsunamis and the earthquakes the president mentioned.

from his speech to the CFR in D.C. on the reconstruction efforts in iraq:

Reconstruction has not always gone as well as we had hoped, primarily because of the security challenges on the ground…

In the space of two-and-a-half years, we have helped Iraqis conduct nearly 3,000 renovation projects at schools, train more than 30,000 teachers, distribute more than 8 million textbooks, rebuild irrigation infrastructure to help more than 400,000 rural Iraqis, and improve drinking water for more than 3 million people.

Our coalition has helped Iraqis introduce a new currency, reopen their stock exchange, extend $21 million in micro-credit and small business loans to Iraqi entrepreneurs. As a result of these efforts and Iraq’s newfound freedom, more than 30,000 new Iraqi businesses have registered since liberation. And according to a recent survey, more than three-quarters of Iraqi business owners anticipate growth in the national economy over the next two years.

This economic development and growth will be really important to addressing the high unemployment rate across parts of that country. Iraq’s market-based reforms are gradually returning the proud country to the global economy. Iraqis have negotiated significant debt relief. And for the first time in 25 years, Iraq has completed an economic report card with the International Monetary Fund — a signal to the world financial community that Iraqis are serious about reform and determined to take their rightful place in the world economy.

With all these improvements, we’re helping the Iraqi government deliver meaningful change for the Iraqi people. This is another important blow against the Saddamists and the terrorists. Iraqis who were disillusioned with their situation are beginning to see a hopeful future for their country. Many who once questioned democracy are coming off the fence; they’re choosing the side of freedom. This is quiet, steady progress. It doesn’t always make the headlines in the evening news. But it’s real, and it’s important, and it is unmistakable to those who see it close up.

matt margolis at blogs for bush agrees.

abc news has interesting iraqi poll numbers here. to sum it up: the results are mixed. three quarters of iraqis are confident about the upcoming elections. 70% approve of the new constitution. the same percentage, of a group containing both sunnis and shiites, believe that iraq should have a unified government. there is a definite split between sunni and shiite perception for possible improvement in iraq over the next year, with shiites holding a more positive view.

from the breakdown of the poll:

Preference for a democratic political structure has advanced, to 57 percent of Iraqis, while support for an Islamic state has lost ground, to 14 percent (the rest, 26 percent, chiefly in Sunni Arab areas, favor a “single strong leader.”)

Whatever the current problems, 69 percent of Iraqis expect things for the country overall to improve in the next year — a remarkable level of optimism in light of the continuing violence there. However, in a sign of the many challenges ahead, this optimism is far lower in Sunni Arab-dominated provinces, where just 35 percent are optimistic about the country’s future

more positive economic news:

Average household incomes have soared by 60 percent in the last 20 months (to $263 a month), 70 percent of Iraqis rate their own economic situation positively, and consumer goods are sweeping the country. In early 2004, 6 percent of Iraqi households had cell phones; now it’s 62 percent. Ownership of satellite dishes has nearly tripled, and many more families now own air conditioners (58 percent, up from 44 percent), cars, washing machines and kitchen appliances.

there are many interesting components to this poll. one of the most interesting is the 45% that want the U.S. to “leave now” (26%) or to pull out right after the elections (19%). this poll has some good news and bad news for the bush administration. the iraqis are positive overall about the elections, the future of the government, and the possibility of improving conditions in iraq over the next year. they still have concerns about the handling of the war by the united states and coalition forces. they are unsure whether their country has improved since the invasion, which is understandable, because there is still much work to be done with security and reconstruction. perception would also vary by region, because of the variability of each region’s progress toward these goals. i think this poll has a more complete, balanced picture than we have seen so far.

this is a good strategy for the president –to take his message directly to the american people. showing that there were changes made in the initial strategy to make the post-war operation more effective than it has been in some areas will improve his credibility and his poll numbers. will he continue to take this approach?

Brian Williams: …And will you keep doing this, having these conversations?

President Bush: I will. I’ll keep taking my message to the people in a variety of formats. It’s one way for me to be able to communicate directly with people. And, I unfortunately don’t get to edit what’s on your newscast.

On the other hand, I do know that by giving a speech that’s broadcast say, on some of these channels that broadcast speeches, more and more people will be able to hear my side of the story, which is very important for the president to be able to do. And I enjoy it. I enjoy getting out and being with — I know — listen, in the audience, I realize everybody didn’t agree with me. But that’s — I’m confident in my message. And I am anxious to be able to talk to those that, you know, are willing to listen. I thought the reception was warm. And I appreciated it.

people can think for themselves, with no needed assistance from the MSM. make your case, mr. president. it’s up to you, not to the GOP or conservative bloggers. we’re listening.

related:
Operation Skinner: Major Success In Iraq-from california conservative
The voting has begun! (updated)–iraq the model (with pics!). actually, just read the whole blog.