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"The situation in Iraq is unacceptable to the American people and me," Bush said in a nationally televised Wednesday address. "There is no magic formula for Iraq. For the safety of America we must succeed in Iraq ...To step back now would cause a collapse of the Iraqi government."

With that, the President called for a change in strategy. In the process he is looking to add 20,000 more troops to ensure survival of what her called the "young democracy" of Iraq.

At Lapeer's American Legion Post Thursday Carol Green and Brian Peasley stated, while supportive of American troops, they don't agree with the Bush's assessment.

"Everybody's got their own opinion, but (the war) should've been taken care of instead of going on and on," said Lapeer resident Green, a member of the American Legion Post 16 Women's Auxiliary. "Our men are doing the best they can and I praise them. Iraqi natives will do their own thing. We can only pray this is settled."

North Branch resident Peasley, a member of the Sons of the American Squadron 16, had nothing nice to say about the war or Bush.

"I think (Bush) ... should be impeached," Peasley said. "It's not right. If we went around the world taking bad people out where would we stop? It's not right we police the world and used our armed forces. I want it over because my son's going into the Marines when he graduates."

Other residents coming and going at the Lapeer Post Office Thursday had plenty to say about the war and their opposition.

"I don't agree with it," said Hugh Wnuk of Lapeer. "Bush has himself in a mess and now he's trying to backpedal. There will never be a cease fire in the Middle East there and I would gradually bring troops home because Iraq needs to take care of itself."

Charlie Coutcher of Flint called for an alternative plan being desperately needed to conquer the war.

"I support our troops," she said. "I have a daughter serving in Iraq and I'm concerned with her safety, but this is like no other conflict. It's idiotic and I don't think anyone wins at war. It's scary. I'm almost ready to call them home and use corn for fuel."

Diana Kuhn of Imlay City wasn't happy to hear of Bush's war plans. Still, despite that, she said she's giving serious thought to enlisting in the Air Force.

"I think it's outrageous. I thought with (new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi) it'd be different," Kuhn said. "Bush shouldn't have ever been elected ...I support our troops, but they're thinking of sending more troops out."

Columbiaville resident Don Hughson doesn't agree with the Iraqi war tactics used at all. "I think the whole thing's a mess," he said. "I think they should be bombing not running around on foot shooting."

Three elected officials, including one who has generally been a supporter of the president in the past, also called for a change in plans with the war.

"The President's proposal to escalate the number of American troops in Iraq is a mistake," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) in a statement. "We must do everything we can to support our men and women in Iraq, but it is wrong to put more of our troops in harms way when we have no clear strategy for success...Our men and women in uniform deserve better."

Instead, Stabenow is calling for the Iraqi government to step up and take care of its own security.

"That process should begin not with more American boots on the ground, but with political pressure from the White House that will shift responsibility for Iraq to the Iraqis. Escalation is not the solution, and committing more American troops without an exit strategy will not lead to greater security and stability in Iraq or get us any closer to bringing our men and women home."

U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, a member of the House Armed Services Committee who represents Lapeer County as part of the 10th District, is also calling for a change in policy.

"I'm not going to support a surge in troops if we think that the status quo is going to continue. I personally hope that we would be looking at significant withdrawals of troops this year," Miller said. "I am extremely hesitant to embrace the President's strategy at this point because while he laid out benchmarks to be met by the Iraqi government and security forces to be met he offered no timeframe for which they had to meet them."

Sen. Carl Levin(D-Mich.) also opposes the president's plan: "I oppose increasing the number of U.S. troops in Iraq as the President outlined. An escalation of American troops is a flawed strategy for two reasons: It implies that there is a military solution to the violence when what's needed is a political solution among the Iraqi leaders, and it suggests that the future of Iraq is in our hands not theirs.

According to published reports, more than 3,000 American soldiers have lost their lives in the Iraq war. The U.S. has spent a combined $430 billion on military operations and economic aid to Iraq.

Bush's plan to add 21,500 troops would increase the number of military personnel in Iraq to a near all-time high of 160,000.

The plan by Bush to add that many more troops could set up a tug-of-war in Congress between the new Democrat control versus Republicans, analysts stated last week.

Jennifer J. Decker can be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8125 or jennifer.decker@lapeergroup.com.