Edition: U.S. / Global  Portrait of a President on a Revealing
Night  Published: April 15, 2004  To the Editor:  Those who
heard the president's press conference (front page, April 14)
must have been struck by one overwhelming sentiment: we are
fully at war and we cannot afford to lose or retreat.  Iraq is a
front line in that war, which we must pursue to a successful
conclusion. From that there can be no retreat, under pain of
severely wounding ourselves and the whole free world in this war
on Islamic terrorism.  This is beyond politics, and the only
question for the American people in November is who can best win
that war.  If we win, the other problems we face (the economy,
health care, Social Security, jobs) can be worked out and
improved. If we lose that war, all the rest won't make much
difference. That is the crucial question that the American
people will have to answer in November 2004, as they did in
1944, 1916, 1864 and 1812.   Houston, April 14, 2004