Bush Has Kept His Eye on the Ball

In this election year of spinning and counter spinning and spinning entirely out of control — and I must admit you have seen all three right here on my program — we all need someone we can rely on to tell us what's what on really important questions.

A month or two ago I went out to Colorado Springs to give a speech at a meeting of military people. At this meeting, I met General Tommy Franks (search), and I really liked him.

I think he's smart, clear-eyed and he tells it like it is.

If you don't believe me, go read his book.

But before you do that, read Tuesday's New York Times, where Franks published an op-ed piece on the war on terror.

Here's part of what the general said:

"President Bush never 'took his eye off the ball' when it came to Usama bin Laden (search). The war on terrorism has a global focus. It cannot be divided into separate and unrelated wars, one in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. Both are part of the same effort to capture and kill terrorists before they are able to strike America again."

For those of you who might feel susceptible to the argument that Bush turned away from the real war on terror to fight a diversionary war against Saddam Hussein (search), please re-read the general's words.

If President Kerry had been faced with Usama and Saddam... do you really think he would have kept America's military searching caves in the Hindu Kush (search), all the while leaving Saddam to plot in Baghdad?

I know Kerry says he would have done that, but I think president anybody — Kerry, Bush, Clinton, whoever — would have been forced to face the Saddam problem, and would have acted.

I find it hard to believe any American president, with the exception of one, would do different.

Who's that one? Hey, I've already been yelled at this week for kicking the old peanut farmer around... so please, just figure that one out for yourselves.

That's My Word.

Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: myword@foxnews.com