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President Bush is a dreamer, and because of this our nation is better.

John F. Kennedy acknowledged, "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or by cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."

The CIA leak investigation has cast a dark shadow over portions of the White House, and is only one of a multitude of obvious realities facing the executive branch. I dare not say that our president is infallible. I've yet to meet a person who is. But if the seeds of liberty that this administration has dared to sow abroad are someday fully realized, the fruits of democracy will, by far, outweigh the existing negative connotations of White House indictments, military death tolls, or Supreme Court Justice nomination battles.

Upon entering the presidency, John Adams prayed, "May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."

Sadly, his prayer went unanswered. Whether by dishonesty or foolishness, many administrations have experienced scandal. Most historians agree that Ulysses S. Grant's two administrations, in spite of his stature as a Civil War hero, were plagued with indecisive leadership and massive corruption.

American political vernacular was given "teapot dome," a synonym for public corruption, due to the presidency of Warren G. Harding. Congressional scrutiny revealed the administration to be the most crooked collection of officials since Grant.

Nixon had Watergate. Reagan had Iran-Contra. Clinton had more than I have space to write. Throughout our nation's history, scandals have tarnished the executive office. Now, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff, like Nixon and Clinton, faces charges of obstruction of justice, false statements, and perjury. To be fair, an indictment is a one-sided accusation, and Libby will be afforded the opportunity to defend himself against the charges. The indictment of one man, however, should not overshadow the dreams of the administration.

One such dream is an end to global terrorism. Yes, I said global terrorism. The efforts of this administration to extinguish terrorist acts extend far beyond the borders of Iraq.

On 9/11, some Americans finally realized that we were at war with factions who had long waged war against us. Thankfully, we had a president with enough backbone to address the situation. Bush has tackled terrorism and wishes to defeat it with liberty.

In Afghanistan and Iraq an overwhelming majority of people have rejected the ideals of terror in favor of freedom. In less time than it took to form our own constitution, these two nations have embraced democracy.

Our founding father, George Washington, said that, "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth." It seems he was right.

Critics of the administration are quick to point out the casualties of war.

We owe a debt of gratitude every one of the 2,000 plus Americans who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that others may know freedom. We are giving nations that have primarily known authoritarian rule an opportunity to break free from the bondages of tyranny.

John Q. Adams said, "May our country be always successful, but whether successful or otherwise, always right." In this cause, we are right. And to retreat now would be a terrible indignity to the memory of our fallen soldiers.

Critics have had a field day with the withdrawn Harriet Miers nomination. The words of William McKinley come to mind. "Unlike any other nation, here the people rule, and their will is the supreme law," McKinley said.

By accepting the withdrawal of Miers's nomination, the president demonstrated a willingness to adhere with the principles of the majority of people in this nation who elected him to office.

Has Bush made mistakes? Theodore Roosevelt said, "The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who does nothing." Of course mistakes have been made in this administration, as with any other. Keeping this in mind however, I urge Bush to otherwise remain vigilante in the pursuit of spreading democracy.

Bush Sr. sums up my sense of optimism with these words: "If anyone tells you that America's best days are behind her, they're looking the wrong way."

And to the critics of any administration, I give you the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: "He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help," Lincoln said.

So, Bush dares to dream of something that never was, a world free of terrorists, and has taken steps towards that end. I rather like that. If we could help him accomplish this aspiration, the potential black-eye caused by the indictments of people like "Scooter" Libby or Tom Delay would be a faded memory.

"And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," JFK said.

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