Bush offers renewed trust with military

There is an old story about a man who had just been hired as the head of a premier collegiate basketball team. During his first meeting with the athletic director, the director said, "I just want you to know that we are behind you 110 percent, whether you win, or you win big."\nUnfortunately, this coach was hired to be nothing less than perfect. \nLike the coach, politicians are also hired to be perfect. The president comes under more scrutiny, and has more pressure to be perfect, than any other elected official. One issue Americans use to judge the success of a president is foreign policy.\nHistorically, the president's role as commander in chief is to protect the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Today, although the president has many added responsibilities, the safety of the nation and its citizens remains imperative. But the Bill Clinton/Al Gore administration has not given the issue of foreign policy the attention it needs and deserves. In the past eight years, we have seen too many policy failures, and the morale level of the military is at an all-time low.\nRight now, hundreds upon hundreds of U.S. troops are stationed in Bosnia. We have no vested national interest there, yet our troops, who are not "Peacekeepers of the World," have been there for several years. The Middle East is also a mess, and although we do have a vested interest in this part of the world, peace will be a very long process. Had the Gore/Clinton administration taken a tougher stance from the beginning, we might be closer to a settlement.\nThe morale of the military is at an all-time low. Our military is uninformed. They do not know why they are sent to Bosnia or Haiti. They do not know how long they will be there or when they will come back, because there is no clear mission. Soldiers are underpaid and overworked. \nTexas Governor George W. Bush and Secretary Dick Cheney have a different philosophy. The plan includes three main proposals:\n1. To renew the bond of trust between the government and the military. \nBush will allot an additional $1 billion to the armed forces to encourage the best and brightest to join. He will renovate military housing that has become run-down and improve military training. He will maintain some longstanding U.S. commitments abroad, but re-evaluate our vested interests to define objectives for uncertain deployment missions.\n2. To defend the United States and deter terrorism by ensuring each group or nation that sponsors such activities will face devastating consequences\nThe intelligence community must have the increased resources to detect terrorists and develop capabilities to prevent problems before they start. Bush will deploy anti-ballistic missile defenses at home and abroad as soon as possible. He will strengthen relationships with allies to share the manpower and cost burdens of defense.\n3. To focus on the military of the future, Bush will allocate funds so the military can improve itself with advanced technology and weaponry. \nTwenty percent of the procurement budget will be set aside for acquisition programs that force America to move ahead in military technology. Defense research and development spending will be increased by $20 billion between 2002 and 2006. \nBush will take a preventive stance on the issue of foreign policy. Foreign policy begins with national defense. The United States will help other countries help themselves by taking a pro-active approach. For example, the situation in the Middle East is not a situation which an outside entity, such as the United States, can jump into. These groups will not resolve anything until they want to, and it is then the job of the United States to assist in the process.\nVice President Gore might have several ideas about how to improve foreign policy. But in eight years, problems have evolved and no solutions have been offered. Today, Bush offers us the solutions to bolster our defenses so we are once again safe from all enemies, foreign and domestic. If we give Bush the opportunity to implement his plans, he will be thoughtful about where we invest our time and money to ensure that neither is wasted. In the end, Bush and his plans will protect us, and it will be the American people who will win, and win big, Nov. 7.