Statement From Jim Dean On President Bush's Speech

Released: Jun 29, 2005 3:56 PM

BURLINGTON, VT -- Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America (DFA), issued the following statement today in response to President Bush's speech last night:

"The American people deserve an honest leader. But, as last night proved, President Bush does not plan on filling those shoes.

"Last night, the president had the opportunity to address the nation with a real plan for the war in Iraq -- but instead, he offered the same old rhetoric with no real solution. He continued to exploit America's sadness and outrage toward 9/11 as justification for the war claiming that waging the fight in Iraq is containing terrorist.

"But, the unfortunate reality is that Osama bin Laden is still free and Iraq has now become a breeding ground for terrorist camps.

"The American public deserves better, and our troops deserve better. We will only win this war on terror when our political leaders are truthful about the risks and held accountable for their mistakes."