Saxby Chambliss: “President, President Bush has recently concluded an historic and highly productive trip to Europe. During my review of…”

“President, President Bush has recently concluded an historic and highly productive trip to Europe. During my review of what was said, and more importantly, what was accomplished, I was struck by the number of significant issues that were addressed and how so many of them portend a better future for our important transatlantic relationship. This was a ``good news'' trip, which might explain why its coverage in the U.S. media was minimal at best. There is no doubt that relations between the United States and Europe have been strained, especially over the conflict to liberate the people of Iraq. And, as we know, the media seems to thrive on reporting bad news at the expense of the good, which can distort what actually exists. I know, for example, that reading about the situation in Iraq in the press forms one perception of reality. But, one gets a very different point of view if they visit Iraq and meet with our military personnel who are serving there, as I was able to do recently. One would think that they are talking about two completely different countries. The fact is that Iraq is not all doom and gloom, nor is it yet the place we envision it to become. It is evolving politically, economically, socially, and yes, it is facing significant challenges from insurgents and terrorists.”