President Obama addressed the Nation last evening from the Oval Office signalling and end to “combat operations” in Iraq. In a relatively brief speech, the Commander-in-Chief offered up a boring and mundane accounting of our nation’s efforts there. While rather lacking in substance; or form; or enthusiasm; the President did manage to remind the American People that end to combat operations fulfilled a campaign promise and that the cost of the War grew budget deficits and distracted from the War on Terror ala Afghanistan. What he failed to mention was that keeping a campaign promise was only note-worthy because he has broken so many; that the budget deficits paled in comparison to that which he and his Congress have wracked up; and that he has spent months tippy-toeing around what to do in Afghanistan and is only now formulating a real plan.
As is the case with any speech in today’s 24-hour news cycle, fact-checkers were abound after the speech concluded. The AP was among the first to get to work. As I noted, there wasn’t much in this speech, so the fact-checking fiasco was rather limited this go-round. That said, I did find one morsel of political word twisting that amused me.
So now that “combat operations” have come to an end – all Americans are out of Iraq right? Welllllll… Not exactly….
OBAMA:“Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended.”
THE FACTS: Peril remains for the tens of thousands of U.S. troops still in Iraq, who are likely if not certain to engage violent foes. Counterterrorism is chief among their continuing missions, pitting them against a lethal enemy. Several thousand special operations forces, including Army Green Berets and Navy SEALs, will continue to hunt and attempt to kill al-Qaida and other terrorist fighters — working closely with Iraqi forces. Obama said, “Of course, violence will not end with our combat mission,” while stopping short of a full accounting of the hazards ahead for U.S. troops.
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This is why speech’s like this amuse me. Obviously, I understand the need to have a symbolic end to things such as this. I mean, as the President said, wars cannot go on forever. I get that, but if you feel the need for such a speech to mark such an occasion, wouldn’t it be more prudent to frame the discussion in a manner that is more fitting with the reality on the ground? Isn’t this speech another GW “Mission Accomplished” in the making? What is going to happen two months from now when God forbid 50 or 100 or 1000 more American troops lose their lives there? Just because “combat operations have ceased, it doesn’t mean that the threat of violence of the element of danger have been removed. On a more practical level, will soldiers still receive combat pay?
You can read the Full transcript of the speech here… via Michelle Malkin if you missed it and are still looking for a clearer picture of things, but I have to tell you that I sincerely doubt that you will find it. The speech offered no real answers – for Iraq or even for Afghanistan for that matter. This speech was nothing more than an attempt by this self-loving President to pat himself on the back and tell the world that the dark stain of the Bush administration is finally being wiped out – that is until the next time he needs a cop-out… because then it will be back to Bush.
President Obama did extend a “warm and fuzzy” thank you to his predecessor, George W. Bush, for formulating the plan that led to success in Iraq – even though then Senator Obama was one of the most outspoken opponents of said plan.
Photo via Weasel Zippers
“I am mindful that the Iraq War has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it is time to turn the page. This afternoon, I spoke to former President George W. Bush. It’s well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I have said, there were patriots who supported this war, and patriots who opposed it. And all of us are united in appreciation for our servicemen and women, and our hope for Iraq’s future.”
WAIT…. That was his thank you?
After railing against the surge – which anyone with even an ounce of intelligence of credibility admits is the ONLY reason that the situation in Iraq didn’t turn down the road to screwdville – this President could only offer up a “President Bush supported the troops, loved his country, and was committed to its security” thank you? That’s like praising a crazy homicidal ex-girlfriend by saying “Man she loved to cook – she polished her knives and defended her kitchen.”
I have spent months trying to find some sense of understanding regarding what truly makes this man go. I thought for a while it was a supreme arrogance and an over-confident naiveté in regards to his own abilities and ideas. Having seen those attributes on display again and again, I was inclined to assume that was the beginning and the end of the story, but it really didn’t sum up the root of the man for me. I think I’ve finally come up with the missing piece to this puzzle. This guy is incapable of doing two things – admitting when he’s wrong and offering praise when someone else is right.
I knew this guy was misguided in his take on matters Left and Right but who knew he could have such a problem with Right and Wrong? Now, I understand that this is hardly a revelation. “Supreme arrogance and a over-confident naiveté in regards to his own abilities and ideas” lends itself to alternate take on reality. I get that, but this guy must have grown up in a universe so out of touch with reality that he never actually had to grasp the concepts of Right and Wrong.
Did his mother and grandmother simply explain away his shortcomings and missteps by telling him that he didn’t stray off course – it was in fact, someone else changing the course forcing him to go astray? Did they tell him that 2+2 = 4, but that 2+2 can also equal 5 if the kid he disagreed with answered 4 before he could muster the words from his brilliant mouth?
Needless to say, I am simply at a loss. The Leader of the Free World either believes that each and every one of us as Americans is too stupid to remember that he opposed this war and the strategy that led to success in it, or he truly lives in an alternate universe where he somehow believes he was right all along. Maybe 2+2 really does equal 5. I can’t for the life of me figure out how 2+0+0+8 = Obama, so I guess I’m lousy at math anyways…
[...] President Obama’s Address to the Nation – Who Was I Supposed to Thank? [...]
[...] President Obama’s Address to the Nation – Who Was I Supposed to Thank? [...]
“Maybe 2+2 really does equal 5. I can’t for the life of me figure out how 2+0+0+8 = Obama, so I guess I’m lousy at math anyways…” = awesome! Great post. Without a doubt the best take on Obama I’ve seen in a while.
Thanks Brad. Sun shines on a horses ass every once in a while…. Much appreciated.
One thing for sure, he refused to give credit where credit is due. I know the Iraq War was mishandled by Rumsfeld and company from the outset, but here is what it boils down to. Had it not been for George W. Bush and his unrelenting stance on the troop surge, screwdville is exactly where this war would have went to. All the while Bush was holding his ground, Barack Obama was busy campaigning and making sure everyone in America knew the strategy was doomed to failure. Now that it has succeeded, he wants to take credit for someone else’s work. Go figure that one out.
Alternate reality LD. That’s where he lives. If he didn’t have half-siblings and second aunts/cousins in housing projects quasi-legally and others in parts unknown, I’d say he must have lived on an island with his mother, grandma and grandpa and every answer was always – You’re the greatest Barrack. Like I said, he clearly lives under a different standard of right and wrong, and I have no doubt that he believes the surge in Iraq was successful only because Bush passed it on to him. It must have been his hawkish stance that forced our enemies to crumble. Ha – that really hurt to write even knowing I was being a smartass.