In 1918, former President Theodore Roosevelt asserted that “to announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” Nearly a century later, this nation is governed by a man who—directly and by proxy—has often impugned the patriotism and good intentions of those who have expressed criticism about the war in Iraq. However “morally treasonable” this smearing of critics may be, such pales in comparison to the greater moral treason of the war itself.

Yesterday, on the four-year anniversary of the war’s onset, President Bush stood in the Roosevelt Room of the White House and reflected on the occasion. A portrait of Theodore Roosevelt on horseback looked on. Mr. Bush cited the “good progress” that has been made in Iraq and then urged continued support for the war:

It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating. If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, a contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country. In time, this violence could engulf the region. The terrorists could emerge from the chaos with a safe haven in Iraq to replace the one they had in Afghanistan, which they used to plan the attacks of September the 11th, 2001. For the safety of the American people, we cannot allow this to happen. [full text]

It is unlikely that the President appreciated the irony of his words (perhaps, in part, because they were not his own but those of his speechwriter). In arguing the necessity of staying the course in order to avert a country-wide “contagion of violence” and the creation of “a safe haven” for terrorists, Mr. Bush conveniently neglected to mention that such potential “consequences” have been made possible by the decision he made four years ago to preemptively wage war on this sovereign (and, in its own brutal way, stable) nation. He is the cause of the very “chaos” that he now uses to justify continued operations in Iraq. And he wants Congress and the American people to believe that the man responsible for this mess can be trusted to clean it up. What has he done to deserve any such trust?

When the leader cannot effectively lead, he must be made to follow. Four years of foolish and reckless leadership are enough. The time has come for Mr. Bush to accede to the will of the American people and to work with the legislative branch to bring a timely end to the war. We have been more than patient and cannot be expected to remain so indefinitely. As Senator John Kerry wisely noted yesterday, “patience is not a strategy.”