Franks says Bush is "the real thing"

An excerpt from a speech by Tommy Franks at the Republican convention last week:

The Global War on Terrorism will be a long fight. But make no mistake we are going to fight the terrorists. The question is do we fight them over there -- or do we fight them here. I choose to fight them over there. Some argue that we should treat this war as a law enforcement issue. Some say we should fight a less aggressive war -- that we should retreat into a defensive posture and hope that the terrorists don't attack us again. Well, my wife Cathy and I are simply not willing to bet our grandchildren's future on the 'good will' of murderers. I learned long ago that hope is not a strategy. In the years ahead, America will be called upon to demonstrate character, consistency, courage, and leadership. Lincoln once said, "Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." Citizens and friends, I've been with this President in tough, uncertain times. George W. Bush is "the real thing."