Maddow blasts Obama's praise for Bush
In an Oval Office speech to the nation, President Barack Obama officially declared an end to US combat operations in Iraq Tuesday. The speech's praise for President George W. Bush quickly drew outrage from MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.
In 2002 while Obama was an Illinois state senator, he was one of the few elected officials to attend an anti-war rally in Federal Plaza. "An anti-war, anti-Bush speech would make him even more appealing to Democrats who were feeling distraught and powerless over the country’s race to war and were still angry about the 2000 presidential election," wrote NBC Chicago's Edward McClelland.
But eight years later, Obama found himself praising the president that started the war in his Oval Office speech.
I’m mindful that the Iraq war has been a contentious issue at home. Here, too, it’s 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 can doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. As I’ve 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 hopes for Iraqis’ future.
The greatness of our democracy is grounded in our ability to move beyond our differences, and to learn from our experience as we confront the many challenges ahead.
"I think we shouldn't get past how remarkable it is how much the proponents of the Iraq war are getting off easy here," Maddow said to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann immediately following the speech.
"And to to have in this speech, as combat operations are ending, to have, as you point out Keith, the president not only not addressing the circumstances in which he we went to war, but these kind words for President Bush, describing his commitment to our security, despite the recklessness with which President Bush discarded that national security in favor of this war of choice, which only diminished our security, and is responsible probably for the Afghanistan war still going on today, for the depths of people who have died in Afghanistan after the time, after which that war would have ended had we not gone to Iraq, not to mention all of the people who died in Iraq," Maddow continued.
"To talk about him having a demonstrated commitment to our security, having started this war on the terms on which he started it, -- I mean, it's beyond restraint from President Obama and anyone in the pro-Iraq war, pro-Bush camp who doesn't feel like they've been given the greatest political present they never deserved was not listening to this speech," she concluded.
But on another network, hosts complained that Obama didn't praise Bush enough.
"Here's the debate," announced Fox News' Gretchen Carlson Wednesday. "Did President Obama thank President Bush for the Surge and for bringing Iraq to its current state?"
"He tipped his hat," replied guest host Eric Bolling. "I don't know if he outright thanked him."
She really knows how to bring a point home. Extremely sober, well thought out and passionate. Too bad she has such high integrity and honors her profession. I would have liked to hear some more pointed opinions about this disgusting display of sweeping the crimes of Bush and co. under the rug. Present America feels kinda futile these days.
.
the gag reflex -- it makes me feel the need to hurl my lunch.
Obama is, face it folks, a Reagan Democrat. Not a liberal. Not a progressive. Not a centrist, at least as far as the Democratic Party of FDR is concerned. Obama is an out-of-the-closet Republican, who feels greater political affinity with the Republican Party than with the populists, liberals, progressives, and leftists that carried the Obama ticket to victory in 2008.
That, in a nutshell, is the best and most apropos explanation for the praise heaped upon GW Bush, his fondness for Reagan, and his eager and continued efforts at bipartisanship with the Republicans. Nada mas.
< http://www.therealdifference.org/issues.html > well illustrates where the Democratic Party leadership and many of the incumbent Democratic politicians are at, policy-wise, today.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
I forced myself to watch the speech.
Some of it was obligatory. Praising the troops and their families and their sacrifices.
I hardly expected Obama to say, "I'm sorry your loved ones died for a lie. I'm sorry so many of you will be physically and emotionally maimed for life."
But cutting GW any slack at all was despicable.
This turd cannot be polished.
The war was a lie.
The troops' and their families' sacrifices were for nothing. Pointless at best.
Worse, they ruined the lives of millions of innocent Iraqis.
Obama didn't have to say that, but he sure as hell didn't need to even faintly praise Bush.
Despicable.
When will government of the people, by the politicians, for the corporations perish from this Earth?
Not soon enough!
I am sooooooooo glad I didn't watch this digusting betrayal!!!
I am saddened beyond words by the caliber of humanity currently infesting our body politic.
I just do not see how he could praise anything bush did. My god man I guess the 1% really does own America lock stock and the government!
Of, By, and For the Corporations who control the show. 'Look forward, not backward' is the motto of a criminal class. Prosecute and stop the Torturers and the PNAC criminals.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
not discount the fact that Bush was a patriot dedicated to security...It was exactly the correct tone -That President Obama presented---Paint him with faint praise ---
The World knows what Bush did wrong --we are still paying for it..If fox wants him to be credited--then fine-- with 2 unfunded wars, 4400 deaths of Americans, 100,000 Iraqi deaths, a $ trillion dollars added to the deficit, our international reputation besmirched, and 30,000 troops wounded..
He was not the one who designed or implemented the surge.. Gen Petraes did that!
'Damn him with faint praise'! Rachel knows about that ...Surprised she missed it!
Duh.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
I think the President was being diiplomatic. He couldn't really rant and rave about the previous administration. That's not his job and that wasn't the point of this speech. I
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
right on. If he would have attacked the opposition, it would have given them more ammunition for the biased MSM gyo attack him.
will have given them more ammunition for the biased MSM gyo attack him.
Showing some resolve, and telling g the truth, will be the antidote for such attacks.
You really are a jellyfish Dem, right ron?
He's such a wuss.
Stop already.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
His 'diplomacy' here was totally uncalled for. If he couldn't say anything truthful he should have said nothing at all.
me-oww!
Furthermore, Obama should facilitate criminal proceedings against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, and the countless other disgusting people (dems included) who colluded to illegally invade Iraq.
Right--he could simply tell the truth, or say nothing (inaccurate, a lie and he knows it) at all. We have a dozen or so genuine War Criminals running free in our country, and Obama started the rehabilitation of George W. Bush when he made him a humanitarian ambassador to Haiti. How could we possibly put such a noble person and humanitarian like him on trial? That was the first step, the undeserved and wholly inaccurate praise of Bush was the second step. What will be the third, having Bush advise him on his next SCOTUS appointment?
The thing I remember most about Obama's speech the night of his election win, was not the speech, but all the people in Grant Park who were crying for joy, that our long Bush Admin nightmare was finally over. And that America had finally elected a person of mixed race and progressed beyond some of the racist heritage that we could not seem to sufficiently shake off. And then he started governing. Now we should be crying at the job he is doing. Obama is a huge disappointment.
I would instead have chosen to say nothing, rather than give praise so undeserved as to amount to a lie or an endorsement of evil doings. Obama was toadying to the dark side. Worse, he meant what he was saying.
Hello Pissed off Patricia:
I agree with you. This reminds me of a number of things in our recent past. The most burning one which sticks out: anyone remember Ford and Nixon? Diplomacy. Nixon should have gone to jail with the rest of his cronies and he gets a pardon. People said Nixon loved his country - ???? I don't know. I'm conflicted. The country FINALLY ended Vietnam and so many more people died in that stupid conflict compared to Iraq. Yes, they are different conflicts/wars, but I cannot help seeing parallels here.
I think what President Obama did was diplomatic. And, you are correct. It's not his job and it was not the point of the speech. As much as I don't like Bush, I cannot say either way how he feels about America because I have not asked him. Same as Nixon.
Thanks, Patricia. Mr. Green Jeans is my Dad. I finally joined C&L - and you are my first post! :D
Pleasure exchanging thoughts with you.
Rachel is correct - reporting and accountability does need to be done.
Bush and Co. should be held accountable for their actions, including the agencies that aided them.
An investigation NEEDS to be done. Most urgently. But, I suppose I'm optimistic - I hope it will happen.
Question to site people. Why doesn't my edit button work? I click on it but nothing happens. Is it broke?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
the edit function ceases to work.
Oh give me a break. Another day another attempt by the media to start a food fight. He praised too much....he didn't praise enough. The media is useless. Full stop!
It is a corporate run joke. The American people are nothing more than an audience to an elaborate World Wrestling Federation match or Globetrotters basketball game. It is a rigged show meant for us to stay focused on things other than the things that matter. Good call.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
It's not like Rachel is a great cutting edge investigative journalist herself either. She ignores as much as anyone when it comes to topics such as Election Fraud, Unsolved Terrorist Attacks, Audit of Federal Reserve, Torture, Drug Running, Political Assassinations,, etc.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
the Arab - Israeli conflict. She knows to keep quiet on that issue. Gaza does not exist as far as she is concerned.
Exactly.. It's hard to keep track of them all, I'm glad you listed that and reminded me. Hopefully others will be listed as well. We can't let the corporate controlled media set the parameters of political debate in our society any longer. Thanks. Otherwise we'll be discussing Glenn Beck for weeks on end as the upcoming election is approaching.
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
"our friends" the Israelis and the Palestinians. The removal of Helen Thomas proved that. ANd Obomba applauded that.
So, who is a 'great cutting edge investigative journalist,' Geronimo--in your esteemed opinion?
BTW, holding Bush and company accountable for their war crimes IS a thing that matters.
For his commitment to "family values".
"Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous Communist plot we have ever had to face?" - General Jack D. Ripper
I watched the whole speech and I didn't see anything I would call praise. All he said was the obvious really.
I don't know why people are getting sucked in by this media manufactured food fight once again.
Bush's "..love of country and commitment to our security."?
That's praise. Undeserved praise. And the antithesis of what Bush felt and did.
Oh Really? Did he say, Bush is my Bro? Bush is a lean mean Decidin machine?
What exactly did he praise really?
So you think saying Bush loves his country was not stating the obvious? You can still be a useless elitists asshole of a president who fucked up 2 wars and still have a "love of country and commitment to our security".
You could say the same about Dick Cheney. Doesn't mean he is not an evil MoFo disgusting Ahole who should be thrown in jail for the rest of what is left of his miserable life.
You people should all get a life. Seriously!
I agree. And your point is what exactly? That the "professional" Left needs to take more drugs?
Christ, what's happening to this place?
I think it's one or two dumbasses who don't want anyone to criticise the President. They've forgotten, IT'S OUR JOB, when he does something fucked up. It is also OUR RIGHT to do so, and OUR DUTY. I refuse to be a 'Good German.'
me-oww!
The blithering "You must clap harder for Obama" crowd is just as irritating as the "you must clap harder for Bush Jr" Crowd, neither group accepts any criticism, no matter how well deserved, of their leader.
Mindless hacks is all they are.
You just come here to tell everyone else THEY need a life? How many comments have you pumped onto this thread (
SixSeven-so far)?"Get a life," "it wasn't praise," "I don't know why people are getting sucked in by this media manufactured food fight once again." That includes you, bub. You've added 3 comments to this thread since I started my reply. And this is positively rich, coming from you, glass house dweller.
me-oww!
If Bush truly had a 'commitment to our security,' he wouldn't have been asleep at the wheel during the August 6 Intelligence Briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the US"!!!!!
Oh, excuse me... you're probably just a closet revisionist. My bad.
"the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation. 2. the offering of grateful homage in words or song, as an act of worship: a hymn of ..."
I'm not sure that praise is the word you're looking for. I didn't hear any praise. I will say that I'm glad the President didn't mention the surge. As Ed Schultz stated today, that would be like an arsonist calling the fire department.
It was an embarrassing speech. Just another depressing reason for me not to vote for him again. It was bad enough when Gibbs lashed out at US (his supporters!) but praising Bush? Too much. On top of that, there's all the horrible Bush policies that he CONTINUES to support - I mean it's just crazy. Crazy, I tell ya.
btw....what the fuck are you doing on this site anyways? Did you get lost looking for porn or something?
.
exactly.
Mr. Walrus until he eventually implodes.
If you stick around long enough you will find that many of the people you violently disagree with on one issue are in tune with your opinions the next. A certain amount of mutual slagging is tolerated and seems to be expected but you don't necessarily want to resort to a flamethrower every time. the Walrus is a long time and respected poster.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Now that response is porn. The old "if you don't vote for useless, corrupt DINO's, then you support the Rethugs". Sort of elementary school yard level taunt. I voted for Nader, a true public servant by the way, twice, so I am immune to the spineless Dims haranguing. Registered Independent, will vote for whoever represents me. Thought Obomba did, I was VERY wrong(ed). And yes, it is pronounced "boner". Don't let any of your Rethug friends tell you otherwise.
*thumbs up*
me-oww!
has been here a hell of a lot longer than you, buddy.
will protect their messiah no matter how pathetically he screws up. Lets face it, he would be wiser to keep his trap zipped even for a little while, lets say, until after November. That way he can hunker down and bone up on how to eliminate Social Security.
n/t
Our old friend "Bubba" Clinton, another dynamic Democrat with his head up his butt will be presenting The U.S. Peace Medal to, you guessed it, Tony " you can't fool me once " Blair, for his work in conflict resolution. The award, plus cash will be handed out in Philadelphia on Sept. 13. No, I'm not making this up. Mr. Blair has stated that he is driven by values of freedom, liberty, and justice. Go for it Tony. This is the highest award that can be presented to a civilian from the U.S. Clinton got this award too but sadly it was not for The Rawanda Genocide. Man Democratic leadership is sure kissing rear ends lately eh, thx11380. Whats up?
which, if true, shows the true character of the man, which is "War Criminal". Of course, it is SOP here to give our war criminals medals, like the "Peace Prize" and even like the Nobel Peace Prize. It's a strange custom, but one that seriously needs examination.
I'm a sop...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Unfuckingbelievable.
That fucker Blair pisses me off as much (and sometimes more) than bu$h. He's a total fucking asshole that always has a shit-eating grin as he spouts off on how right he is, was, and always will be, about everything. I'd like to wipe that grin of his ugly fucking face.
far left loon >.<
Ahha, Obama is a republican.....ahahahaahahaaaa.
I've been playing with allot of young kids online, I got allot of teenaged boy lingo, and also envied by allot of right wing conservatives too now.
but, this was not the time to rehash and trash the idiot Republicans including Bush, who staged this bullshit war. The President simply wanted to thank the troops and move on. If Liberals continue to expect Obama to be someone he's not, we'll always be disappointed. History and polling already shows that the American people see Bush and the Iraq was a failure. The petty I told you so speech can be given on the campaign trail this fall and in 2012. Last night's speech was not about Bush. It was about the troops and all of our desires to move forward. I still love Rachel and will continue to watch but, this is the second time she was expecting the President to deliver a partisan speech and was left wanting.
this president. Good plan.
war of aggression loving, law hating teabagger clown really needs to go. NOW!
Why not just not mention W.?
Obama actually thinks if he plays nice with the Right, the Right will play nice with him.
Wow.
WRONG.
"I can't keep doing this on my own with these...people."
He was just trying to be polite. At least Bush hasn't been out there spewing hate like Cheney (yet) so he deserves some credit for that. It must be tempting when you have the party in power constantly blaming you (deservedly) for everything.
I think you people need to get a life....seriously.
The only thing Bush deserves credit for is:
squandering a surplus
starting an illegal war
ignoring the Constitution
okaying illegal torture
outing a cover CIA agent
and a million other things
This site has been taken over by Obamapologists. STOP TELLING US Professional Lefties to get a life!
I didn't vote for Obama to be polite. I voted for him to put this country back on track after the Bush Gang totally screwed with it (and us). He's failing.
"at least Bush hasn't been out there spewing hate" it's all over but the crying now. You can fool me once, duh. Bush does not have to spew hate, he has done enough damage killing people for oil and Haliburton etc.
It's both an Obama AND Bush Jr apologist.
Ol' thx is apparently bipartisan right down to its marrow.
seeing these right wing trolls sucking shit out of war criminals assholes.
And then looking up with santorum dripping down their chin and saying "What a good boy/girl am I."
"At least Bush hasn't been out there spewing hate like Cheney (yet) so he deserves some credit for that."
Probably because the chimp has been too busy getting drunk. He has a lot of catching up to.
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He doesn't have any motivation to do anything. Except wipe his hand on Bill Clinton's back when he accidentally shakes hands with a Haitian.
me-oww!
"He was just trying to be polite." thx11380??? Just trying to be nice?
Where I come from we have nothing but disgust for war criminals. Being polite would have been not mentioning him at all. Instead he makes bu$h sound "nice".
far left loon >.<
Where I come from we have a history of hanging those that launch war of aggression and institute torture policy. And those that are 'polite' to those war criminals are NOT welcome here.
That does it--ignore is such a pleasant alternative to reading your condescending, misguided comments. Ta-ta.
would be that Obama committed the cardinal sin of acknowledging that people might honestly differ in their points of view. That brief line: "Yet no one could doubt President Bush’s support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security. " cannot be left unchallenged because, naturally, the Bush administration's utterly foolish policies with regard to Iraq also means that he hated his country and only sent troops he despised so that they could be killed. And Obama's refusal to say that is unforgivable. I'm not exactly sure what anyone expected him to say but the problem, as I see it, is you aren't used to having a president who behaves like one.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
(I think?)
isn't it?
Hasa Diga Eebowai
:-)
didn't mean it, is to be deemed not guilty. Even better, they shall be deemed "innocent, but misunderstood."
that they'll be lauded for being 'committed to the security' of all remaining humans.
since we had that. And will apparently be many more before we have again.
I listened to that speech. the President said alot in that speech. For Rachel to get unhinged by a statement about Bush was crazy.
The speech was about the end of the war not the lunatics who got us in to the war.
Rachel is just upset over gay rights. Her displeasure over the Presdient has nothing to do with the Iraq war.
She needs to get a grip.
.
Admit that the statement about Bush was not that complimentary.
Rachel sounded like an idiot getting upset over that statement.
Her true colors are coming out and I think what we might find is a teabagger. She is getting upset over something mythical.
.
Bush and Cheney are not the only criminal running loose in this country.
Has Rachel ever done a story about the disparity in crack cocaine sentencing in this country?
How about a story about the un armed Black people who are being shot in the back by policeman. The police getting off.
She has alot of nerve criticizing our Presdient, who is actually trying to do something.
Rachel is a hypocrite.
You'll need three video tapes from different angles with eyewitness accounts, and only then you "might" get a conviction.
Will logic prevail? No, it will not. "My country right or wrong,..." Sung to the tune of "My country tis of thee."
Samuel Johnson's timeless assertion:
Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Bush, Cheney and many others colluded to commit war crimes for which they've received a big pass. Why?!?
Why, why, why do the apologists posting to this thread think that's okay?!?
The president praising an unprosecuted war criminal is giving him the thumbs up for his misdeeds. Obama just called the suspension of habeas corpus, the halting of free speech at demonstrations, illegal wire tapping, illegal propgandising, torture and all the lies in which those actions were wrapped up "...President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security."
I'll repeat:
You sound like an idiot not recognising the reason that statement was upsetting. He just told GWB, "Right on! You got away with it, man! Enjoy your retirement! We aren't going to prosecute, baby!"
me-oww!
Again, I find Bush to be a war criminal and a disgrace. I just didn't expect to hear the President say that in a speech marking the end of this bullshit war.
.
of it.
I guess I missed the part where I said he should have called Bush names.
Why is it so many on this thread think an objection to positive words for Bush implies he should have talked smack about the asshole? I never said that. In fact, I believe I said on this thread or another, if Obama could not speak the truth about Bush, he should have said nothing about the guy at all.
I didn't expect to hear 'George Bush cares' in the speech. It's a lie and an insult to everyone who died or was injured in any way by the actions brought about by a guy the president claimed supported the troops, loved the country and was committed to the security of the nation. 3 strikes. In this case THAT was the praise. That no one could doubt Bush's devotion.
me-oww!
over and over again and again until this slow witted fools understand just how totally the bush administration screwed this country through war crimes and how completely absent the obama administration has been on bringing the US back to the rule of law.
I rarely disagree with Rachel but this time I do. She is probably the most rational commentator on US television all things considered.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
You need to get a grip. Your specious argument about gay anger is ridiculous.
"
far left loon >.<
because he's a war criminal and hate the fact the Obama gave him the slightest praise - instead of handing him over to the Hague Are Really Upset Because of Teh Gay?
WTF.
I think Bush and Cheney should be in sing sing prison. However, President Obama cannot clean up every mess in this country. He is not a god.
Rachel was upset just a little tooooo much. She was over the top. Made zero sense. She is upset over gay rights.
Pray tell what could be more important than holding the men responsible for the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents and displacing millions of people?
According to you, it's gay rights. Something tells me you have an issue there.
Somehow I don't recall Enrica De Nicola calling Mussolini a great patriot, Leonard Adenauer praising Hitler or Suzuki Kentoro praising Tojo.
Perhaps you think the comparison isn't appropriate. But of course we live here in the good ol U S of A, we do our killing overseas.
with Mussolini, Hitler or Tojo is quite ridiculous. None of them were garden variety fools.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
was kind of a clown.
me-oww!
a point. Two out of three then.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
make the connection. But it's easy sitting up north while the propaganda machine down here lead by lies from the White House marched us to a war of choice for oil. Kind of why Japan went to war in WWII - oil.
But that's beside the point. The point is nations attacking other innocent nations, killing innocent civilians. I guess killing a few hundred thousand Iraqis doesn't count for much in your book. How about the displacement of millions? Does that help at all?
The point being, no matter how anyone wishes to whitewash it, Bush and most of his administration are by any stretch of definition War Criminals. As such they should be tried in an international court of law. The last thing they need is to be rehabilitated by our "democratic" president.
I hope that clears it up.
is completely irrelevant when hundreds of thousands of innocent people are dead. When the deeds and consequences are the same then the comparison is apt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vgDpI8kU98
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
1 - The combat troops are being replaced by private contractors, ie mercenaries. We will never be out of Iraq.
2 - Bush should face prosecution for war crimes. He lied us into the war, which is a crime against peace. He oversaw a regime of torture.
3 - Obama failed to prosecute and thus has set a course to follow him into the docket, at least in the judgement of history, which will not be kind. To them or us.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
The Republicans take back power and impeach Obama for war crimes.
Whooo-haaaa! We've gone beyond the Looking Glass.
Beyond the looking glass!
hmmm…
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
The continuing absurdity is to view this in terms of the trite R versus D to and fro'.
The powers that be, that own and run the country control the front men who sit there and make these speeches.
Obama is a much more polished front man than Bush, there is no contest there.
He is still just a front man.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
I find it refreshing that more of us are becoming aware of the bipartisan red herrings promulgated by the Corporate Megalomaniacs manipulating all the 'puppet strings' of their chosen front men.
BTW, I agree with others posting herein below--I always look for your comments, Alice. Glad you're here.
Haven't seen any of your posts for a while. I hope you are well. The place seems a little flat when expected voices disappear.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Hello Peter G
Thank you for the kind thoughts, I also hope all is well there.
I am still breathing, I generally take that as a reasonably good sign.
I haven't been commenting because, well, it all seems like pretty much the same 'ole…
The new sprucing is nice though…
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
I always like to read your comments and view several links. Think about that. Nice to see you. Glad you're well.
far left loon >.<
I think your totally spot-on with point #1. The US will not give up on Iraq.
Didn't bu$h say he'd embroiled the US in enough crap that you'll be in the ME for 50 years. And he was happy about that. He said, "we'll see down the road and thank him."
Did I dream that? I'm sure he said it.
far left loon >.<
And you are correct -- the USA will never give up their presence in Iraq, or at least not until those oil Production Sharing Agreements have been fully exercised and the oil fields depleted. But for how long can successive USA governments continue to justify our military presence there, even if it is comprised almost entirely of contract mercenary forces?
And at what point will the expense of maintaining this military presence there in Iraq finally be borne by those oil companies which benefit the most?
(Okay, that last bit was a rhetorical question, since this is no longer either a representative democracy or a democratic republic, but a fascistic crony corporatist oligarchy.)
"Privatized profits, and socialized risks" indeed.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
...as well as excuses the previous administration's crimes. And Bush laughs.
Is there really a two party system??
NOBODY 2012
but thers sure is a hellova party at the top. If you can get there.
The rest is all political theatre -- bread and circuses for the masses, minus the bread.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
When you have half of the country believing that Obama is tearing the country apart and dividing us, the worst thing he could do is get up and slam Bush. Fox will be glad to add that to their storyline.
He acknowledged that he disagreed about getting into the war. That is enough. If you want Democrats to win an election, you have to be concerned about what the moderates are thinking.
And vote!
Those who do not participate in Democracy get the Gov't they deserve and if Dems do not come out in droves that's EXACTLY what is going to happen.
don't deserve. George Carlin was right. The voting game is a charade, to keep people distracted and feeling like they really count.
And with the votes of the people made ever more inconsequential ever since 2002, with the bipartisan passage of the "Help America Vote (Our Way) Act". Nearly all the federal funds were already disbursed to the states and electronic voting machines purchased before federal regulations, testing or certification were ever in place -- you know, sort of like the way the TARP funds were handed out more recently.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
I've voted in every election since 1972. I certainly haven't deserved the shit I've been handed, starting with that crook Nixon, through St Goddamn Ronnie, George 'New World Order' Bush Bill 'The Clenis' Clinton, George 'He Trahd to Kill My Pappy' Bush up to this guy, who I really wanted to be someone who could man the fuck up and straighten some shit up around here. I still HOPE for that to happen, I realise he's gotten some shit straightened out, but he has some terrible gaffes committed by not only him, but staff.
That old bit of flannel no longer works.
me-oww!
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is a war crime under our own laws then 'disagreement' is meaningless. Prosecution of the worst crimes known to man is the correct response NOT bullshit about the criminals motives being good.
Your headline is rather misleading.
I did not get the impression that she was in any way yelling at Obama for not yelling at Bush. That would have been entirely unseemly and very foolish politically.
Rachel simply did what the press should do: give the deep background and let people decide for themselves. she did a masterful job at that.
MyMy
I agree. I saw this segment last night and didn't think Obama was getting blasted. Now I find it quite comical that the Fox propagandists are saying Obama didn't thank chimpy enough for implementing a tactic that finally worked in a war that we never had to be in. Fox can go f*ck themselves.
I will no longer post here until you start culling the Ad hominem attacks. They do nothing to advance civil discussion and actually enable disruption and distraction from the topic. To those here who post here for entertainment value or to get a rise out of your fellow posters, why don't you go form your own website and post your diatribes there.
We certainly can't find them all. And sometimes you just have to ignore that sort of post on your own. We are working on new features that may help you out, but they have to come out one at a time, and it may take a few weeks.
You could try flagging the more egregious ones. I can't guarantee we'll always agree with your assessment, but we can look them over. We do have a warning system that I used on one of the posters in this thread and that seems to have gotten him to cool his jets.
The flag button is called 'Report' now.
I much prefer my joy button:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6yzjDXp_og&fe...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Feel free to ask me anything."
do you need Visine?
For Fs Sake - Obama did not praise Bush and Rachel Maddow did not accuse Obama of praising him either.
Infact, he mentioned that the War was paid for by borrowing money from China. Thats more relevant to the immediate future of the nation than anything else is.
What the hell is wrong with you people sometimes. No coherence. Fake headline.
I'm not sure why this is even being framed this way. I didn't hear any praise either. I thought he struck the right tone. I found the headline to be similar to those of the huffington post. Misleading at best.
Fuck China.
President Obama deserves a ton of credit for taking so many combat troops out of Iraq but he fumbled big time with his praise of the criminal Bush.
Thank you Rachel! I nearly puked when I heard that. Bush is a murderer and should be tried for his many crimes. The Bushies lied us into the unfortunate bloody Iraqi war that has, and continues to destroy the lives of so many many people.
Obama is trying to bring this country together but you do that with the truth, not thru lies.
Here is the smoking gun proving Bush is guilty of murder by lying the United states into war with Iraq. We all know Bush went in for the oil $$$.Here is Drumheller, the head of the CIA, calling Bush a Liar on 60 minutes no less.
see link below ...
"(CBS) When no weapons of mass destruction surfaced in Iraq, President Bush insisted that all those WMD claims before the war were the result of faulty intelligence. But a former top CIA official, Tyler Drumheller — a 26-year veteran of the agency — has decided to do something CIA officials at his level almost never do: Speak out.
He tells correspondent Ed Bradley the real failure was not in the intelligence community but in the White House. He says he saw how the Bush administration, time and again, welcomed intelligence that fit the president's determination to go to war and turned a blind eye to intelligence that did not.
"It just sticks in my craw every time I hear them say it’s an intelligence failure. It’s an intelligence failure. This was a policy failure," Drumheller tells Bradley.
Drumheller was the CIA's top man in Europe, the head of covert operations there, until he retired a year ago. He says he saw firsthand how the White House promoted intelligence it liked and ignored intelligence it didn’t:
"The idea of going after Iraq was U.S. policy. It was going to happen one way or the other," says Drumheller. "
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/21/60m...
I could not agree more.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."
-- John F. Kennedy
Those who find little (or no fault) with last night's speech disregard the fraudulent, stab-in-the-back myth making that took root surrounding the American debacle in Vietnam.
They are the same breed of cat who outright ignore and/or subscribe to the "Vietnam Syndrome" theory, i.e., that "victory was denied the U.S. by a domestic insurgency". They lack a fundamental understanding of the disastrous consequences for any nation- and people- that refuse to confront rude truths in matters of war. They are the vessels that embraced the big lies of traitors in the run-up to the great tragedy. They are the people who are ultimately responsible for its unfolding.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, et al, should all be prosecuted.
The United States aspires to democracy, but no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.
I just think if you were expecting that in a speech, you were setting yourself up for disappointment. And so was Rachel.
I think I'd better go now. It's getting weird around here. I'll be back later though because I still love Crooks and Liars! It's almost time for Keith!
Well, that would be ok (fixing things here at home during the double dip recession) if the US wasn't expanding its conflict in Afghanistan (Obama's war). Don't believe Obama if he says the USA forces will be out of the 'stans' by next August (2011) unless the volunteers are all replaced by mercenaries (like Iraq). Obama just read that speech off a screen so I'd say the loss of freedoms during the Bush II experience don't matter much to him and.........ho hummm...........business as usual.........
Just another day's work in the unraveling of the Obama presidency. I hope come '12 after he loses that he looks squarely in the mirror and places the blame where it belongs and fully realizes who abandoned who!
Roxsteady: You "don't disagree"? You.."just think if you were expecting that in a speech, you were setting yourself up for disappointment. And so was Rachel".
Setting myself up? I had no expectations whatsoever concerning his remarks. I mean, absolutely none. Assuming you were responding to my post (at 4:33 PM), I didn't make myself clear. That, or you intentionally dodged the gist of my criticism.
The POTUS is not just some guy blowing off steam on a website.
Among other things, he's the leader of the democratic party.
How many democrats out there are prepared to "turn the page"? How many of you believe the country has confronted the people, events, and truth that led to war?
Don't pray to the condiments...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Obama's praise of Bush Jr was an incredibly stupid smack on the liberal base of the Democratic party already disenchanted with his refusal to push, as hard as possible for progressive legislation as he did for Bernanke's renomination to run the Fed.
The Democratic leadership apparently feels that the liberals and labor unions will once again do its GOTV efforts after getting so smacked around by the party's refusal to push a liberal agenda.
Shirley Sherrod gets fired after a very misleading video is posted by liar and racist Andrew Breitbart-still waiting for those unedited ACORN videos with unaltered audio so we can all hear what was REALLY said in those offices.
Van Jones dismissed because of blather by Glenn Beck.
Alan Simpson's comments dismissed with a cavalier wave of the hand, allowed to keep leading the "gut/privatize Social Security" catfood commission.
Rahm Emanuel apologizes to Sarah Palin for his "fucking retarded" remark, but doesn't apologize to the liberals he slammed with that comment.
This Administration, as well as the Congressional Democratic leadership, loves the liberals and labor unions for their GOTV efforts, but despises our agenda, as witnessed by Gibbs blather about "the professional left".
It would be nice, indeed, if the Democratic party would actually start governing, unapologetically, like Democrats, instead of pandering to the Republicans and their teabagger, extremist base, and while I wasn't expecting a red meat speech full of Bush Jr insults from Obama, not kissing the war monger's ass while simultaneously refusing to prosecute the past regime for it's numerous high crimes against our Constitution would have been refreshing.
If Obama wasn't going to criticize Bush Jr, then he shouldn't even have mentioned the previous President in any way, shape or form last night.
Obama's praise of Bush Jr last night will NOT decrease that lack of enthusiasm from the liberal/labor union base of the Democratic party going into the midterm elections.
like William Calley was for Vietnam. The little people have to do their duty to protect the VIP's.
The next poster for Obama should be HOPE less.
reconsider. Let the chips fall where they may. Apparently, there are many who didn't grasp the full effects of the GOP during BushCo. I guess you DO have to hit some people in the head more than once.
Van Jones had to go. He is a Commie.
will Obama really leads the country with the Democratic majority he had and still has before he looses it in November? From Europe, I sadly contemplate his leadership as terribly wishy-washy. He made a huge mistake not having his predecessor et al suied as war criminals that they are. Since then the Repugs have had a field day in the country and Obama is going to pay dearly. Not only Obama, but the rest of the world.
Headline from Huff Post states, " Dems Unlikely To Repeal Bush Tax Cuts ". Now lets see Mr. "Hope and Change" use his bully pulpit to turn that scenario around instead of helping to vindicate some nut job president's decision making. I ain't gonna hold my breath waiting for that deliverance based on Barry's past performance. Have at'er Barrack. Oh, and Mr. Fist Bump basketball guy, do me a personal favor and stop giving contracts to Blackwater or Xe, and while you are presumably using that "bully pulpit" denounce any idea, straight out like, of dismantling Social Security. You are now the "decider", get it.
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