Read the text of the speech here.
President Barack Obama’s speech from the Oval Office Tuesday night was a strange muddle—a televised prime-time address that lacked a bottom line, a consistent theme, a clear road to the future.
He announced the end of combat operations in Iraq, right on schedule. But he equivocated on what comes next in that much-improved but still war-torn land.
On the one hand: “There should be no doubt the Iraqi people will have a strong partner in the United States; our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.” On the other hand: “Through this remarkable chapter in the history of the United States and Iraq, we have met our responsibility. Now, it is time to turn the page.”
[…]
On the one hand: “No challenge is more essential to our security than our fight against al-Qaida.” On the other hand: “Our most urgent task is to restore our economy and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work. … [This] must be our central mission as a people and my central responsibility as president.”
At least there was no “Mission Accomplished” equivalent. Here’s what one ex-Bush defense official thought about it.
Oh, Mike,
I should mention,
Every time Obama has extended a hand of cooperation to the Republicans, your answer was, SCREW YOU!! YOU LYING MUSLIM KENYAN AMERICA HATER!!!!!
And, with more conservative reversa-logic, that’s what you call bi-partisanship.
>> Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on September 1st, 2010 at 9:34 am
>> #32: Makes you want to have a beer with them.
>> Made me want to find a time machine and disable Nader a little better.
I’m still P.O’d at the jackass Greens who claimed there was absolutely not difference between Gore and Bush Jr. — even on the environment.
It’s a stunning lack of political judgment.
At, $10,000 dollars for every American, my family is into this thing for $30,000.
I can think of a ZILLION better ways to spend the money. Heck, just shredding it would have left a lot more people alive.
And, bizarrly, the conservatives are whining now that Obama is hogging all the credit for this lovely adventure. “He didn’t thank Bush enough!!” Could conservatives be more petty and immature?
Greg Allen said:
OK, we get it. Conservatives like their speakers to talk like redneck goofballs. Makes you want to have a beer with them.
I’d rather have a beer with a redneck than a Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac with a snooty liberal like Mr. Charisma John “I served in Viet Nam” Kerry, a man of the people.
jbenson,
It’s just the weirdest thing to be resentful about — that Obama can give a decent speech.
Yet, this seems to P.O. conservatives more than just about anything else. You accuse of him of being a savior or messiah or some other idiotic charge.
jbenson: I prefer to have beer with people who are smarter than me. I never got that vibe from Bush2.
Rant alert.
Greg…that whole “give Bush credit” credit thing is AMAZING! It’s his goddamned fault we lost 4,400 soldiers plus 30,000 casualties plus 100,000+ innocent Iraqis. And it’s his fault the number of radicals with suicide bombs is 20 (30? 50?) times higher today than in 2001. And it’s his fault we’ll be stuck there for 20 years. And they want Obama to give him props?????
Yeah, he gets credit for it…credit for every goddamn bit of it. Conservatives shouldn’t worry, historians will make certain he gets all the credit.
/rant
im with ron paul all the way on this one.
too bad he doesnt believe in evolution or abortion 🙂 those are the only two things i ever disagree with paul on
Ron Paul on Obama’s Iraq Speech: Mission Not Accomplished
LAKE JACKSON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Congressman Ron Paul today released the following statement on President Obama’s speech from the Oval Office last night:
“Once again, we are being told the mission has been accomplished and our brave men and women are coming back home. Though the people are hopeful they remain skeptical, and rightfully so.”
“The President’s announcement that all U.S. combat troops have left Iraq is no more believable than the ‘Mission Accomplished’ declaration was in 2003.
“Once again, we are being told the mission has been accomplished and our brave men and women are coming back home. Though the people are hopeful they remain skeptical, and rightfully so.
“The biggest problem is that success in Iraq is undefinable since the mission was never defined. The reasons given for the invasion were based on misinformation. Now, the war has cost us hundreds of billions of dollars and this has contributed significantly to our economic woes.
“Forty-four hundred Americans are dead, thirty thousand severely wounded, and more than a hundred thousand are suffering from serious health problems related to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. This alone should tell us that it was not worth the investment and the needless sacrifice of our young people and the taxpayers.
“It is deceitful to imply we will avoid hostilities with this new policy. We still have to contend with:
the 50,000 troops carrying weapons remain in Iraq
the 100,000 contractors that remain with more expected to go to Iraq
the 9,000 special ops personnel trained in assassinations that remain in Iraq
a huge embassy, bigger than the Vatican, that will remain
Dozens of military bases that will stay
Al Qaeda organizations that did not exist before the war
Muqtada al Sadr, a strong nationalist who has gained much political power
The fact that Iran benefits tremendously with the Shiites now in power in Iraq and is a close ally of al Sadr
“Osama bin Laden wins by ‘proving’ that America has an agenda of occupation in the Middle East. And, we continue to walk into his trap and hand him up his best recruitment tool in his efforts to incite hatred and terrorism against the United States.
“What’s worse, President Obama made it clear last night that the troops and resources leaving Iraq will not come home to defend our country or ease our economic woes. They will instead be diverted to Afghanistan, perhaps also Pakistan and, I fear, even Iran.
“From my viewpoint we are the losers in this fool’s errand of endless war. Tragically, this new policy is not one of peace but merely a charade that will severely undermine our national security and continue us down the path to bankruptcy—a threat that we best not long ignore.”
Old Baggins,
Rant on, brother!
To me Bush wasn’t “folksy” — he was “privileged frat boy snarky.” I would never choose to have a beer with someone like that.
As for the “give Bush credit” thing — it’s appalingly immature by the conservatives, isn’t it?
For starters — it’s a horrible snub to our soldiers who really should get first credit.
I didn’t see the speech but I’ve never heard Obama heaping praises on himself for getting us out of the war.
Bush dumped this war on to the next president because he thought leaving would make him look weak. (next to taxes, the most loathsome thing to conservatives.)
If McCain had been elected, we’d still be “surging” for sure. Then your personal bill for this war would be $15,000 or $20,000 or whatever with no end in sight. And conservatives would be cheering him along, every step.
damn you liberals are crazy. the posts here are starting to make Digg look conservative
>> Alfred Persson said, on September 1st, 2010 at 10:24 am
>> Great speech, lets dissolve the constitution and congress, and make him der Fuhrer
See what I mean? It’s the damndest thing… it just po’s the hell out of conservatives that Obama can give a decent speech.
When they are not calling him the messiah, they are calling him Hitler for it!
>> jman said, on September 1st, 2010 at 10:28 am
>> damn you liberals are crazy. the posts here are starting to make Digg look conservative
Wow, dude, you got me with that zinger.
Can you enlighten us with some specific examples of us being crazy?
maybe this will help you get your mind straight:
“You cannot help the poor
by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak
by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up
by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man
by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage
by taking away people’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently
by doing for them,
what they could and
should do for themselves.”
Abraham Lincoln
Greg Allen said:
“OK, we get it. Conservatives like their speakers to talk like redneck goofballs. Makes you want to have a beer with them.”
Your glorious leader and his VP are the ones that held a beer summit.
#11 Mike
no 9/11 connection, weapons of mass destruction, no functioning Iraqi democracy,
Sending American solders into war under a false pretenses should get your ass impeached not thanked should be an
so there never should have been a war witch would make that “Surge” unnecessary. The Iraqi government is a mess so no the “Sruge” was not successful except in letting Obama keep to the withdraw schedule Bush was forced to except to get his sruge
we don’t even have a deal for there Oil.
I think Its best for Bush if Obama doesn’t remind every body that he should get blame/credit for this.
I give out soldiers for doing there job very well and Obama for not backing out of the withdraw schedule.
We didn’t win, we should not have picked this fight, Iraq is still a mess, only one tyrant of many in the world is gone and at such a cost why was that our job when we let so many other tyrants go free?
Is america safer with an embolden Iran?
I done ranting Mike Obama’s Republican predecessor and his team are getting all the credit for this don’t you worry.
Damn I need a proof reader
@ Greg Allen
I’ll give Obama credit for getting us out of Afghanistan and Iraq WHEN he has done so.
Not because he did some speech talking about the idea.
What good is pulling out after you’ve dumped your load?
Who’s your daddy?
“But here’s my question: why doesn’t Obama have a 97% approval rating for this issue alone?”
Because a lot of people in this country consider him an epic failure. Even Clinton got it right, it’s the economy stupid.
Hows that 9% unemployment?
But I do agree with him on one thing, “it’s time to turn the page” especially on his inept administration.
jman…your tip for the day: research the actual author of that piece.
Hint: it was written in the 20th century……
#53 Mextli
and not revisiting the failed republican policies of the past what would you have him do?
If McCain were in office we would be just as up Sh*t creek. he has done as well as any one could better that most
Please Mextli tell us how YOU could have fixed the economy any faster?
#39 Greg Allen said:
You accuse of him of being a savior or messiah or some other idiotic charge.
Yeah, me and the entire lap-dog liberal media. Did you see the comments made by Tingles after the speech?
Chris Matthews said “How can people not like a president who’s almost pluperfect”?
#40 Olo Baggins said:
Yeah, he gets credit for it…credit for every goddamn bit of it. Conservatives shouldn’t worry, historians will make certain he gets all the credit.
I bet you’re really getting steamed with the polls starting to show a higher approval rating for Bush over The Messiah.
http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/08/previewing-ohio.html
LOL
jbenson…Matthews in no way represents the “entire lap-dog media.” He’s nuts, and rarely takes a progressive stance these days. When I say nuts, I mean that guy has gone nuts. He drools over Palin and any other reasonably attractive GOP woman. Etc.
It’s the right-wing media who uses those terms. The right-wing blogosphere, to be exact, plus Rush Limbaugh and Beck, and morons commenting on blogs like this one. Nobody else. Find examples in the normal media where those terms have been used. Go ahead, I’ll be waiting……
I’ll give you that the media isn’t doing its job, but that began in earnest when Bush’s neocons started beating war drums. The media failed us horribly. They still do. But not like you say.
Jbenson….Ohio gave us John Boehner the Orange. So that poll makes sense.
#43
“For starters — it’s a horrible snub to our soldiers who really should get first credit.”
OK let me remind you THEY ASKED to join. There was no draft, no pressing into service. They CHOSE to enter in and fight another unjustified war. You WANT hell? Then you will have it, in ABUNDANCE! I have no sympathy for them. They asked to go.
I have sympathy for those drafted into service and was treated badly in Vietnam and Korea.
But from Grenada to now. Tuff shit. You chose that path. And if you didn’t think you could get killed or injured being in the military? Please go to Arlington and walk the rows and rows of dead.
When they asked me back in HS I told them no every effin time. No way would I be a poorly paid, under equipped mercenary.
Cursor_
#47
The quotes were published in 1942 by William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister. He released a pamphlet titled Lincoln On Limitations, which did include a Lincoln quote, but also added 10 statements written by Boetcker himself.
Not Lincoln, he would NEVER had said such a thing.
Cursor_
Lincoln had much better prose than Boetcker.
>absolutely not difference between Gore and Bush Jr. — even on the environment.
Democrats angry with the Greens for giving them Bush should perhaps maybe think about their own candidate first. Gore has mining operations on his land in Carthage. His family owns an oil company, essentially given to his father by Armand Hammer for services rendered. This oil company, Occidental Petroleum engaged in offshore drilling and drilling on Indian reservations, and Gore was getting protests about this at the time. The media may have covered for Gore, but enough Greens found out about it that they didn’t feel like voting for Gore.
GregAllen, it was Obama who made the promises, not the Republicans, who can be expected to act like politicians. If you are going to transcend politics, then you should be prepared for such things, or perhaps you should know better and not make such promises, but that doesn’t get as much excitement among naive voters.
#63
Regardless, it’s a good quote. If Lincoln did not say it, he should have.