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Subscribe to RSSThe White House has released excerpts of President Obama's Oval Office address on the end of combat operations in Iraq. Some examples:
Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended. Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this office. Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to strengthen Iraq's Security Forces and support its government and people. That is what we have done. We have removed nearly 100,000 U.S. troops from Iraq. We have closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis. And we have moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq.
[snip]
Ending this war is not only in Iraq's interest - it is in our own. The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq in the hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we share with the Iraqi people - a belief that out of the ashes of war, a new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilization. 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.
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"Out of the ashes of war..."
So so sad.
This was an excellent speech. He cannot sit there and crucify the prior Admin. That's not the definition of a leader. This speech is being watched worldwide and he handled it perfectly. He called President Bush today to speak with him. That to me is the definition of class, despite what the McCains of the world are saying publicly. President Obama had to see this war to its finish. He had no choice.
The right wing can go to...they have done enough. We have a new President. And he handled this right. 100% right.
"New president"? His term is half over and he is still new? Did he just prepare for the job during the last 18 months? What's he going to do the next 18 months, trying to figure out how to be a President? I don't have too much hope for him to figure that out and change his inept egotism to bonifide leadership.
I think the speech was lacking in substance and the President did not show the emotion that should have been emitted. Further, I do not believe combat is over and I have a funny feeling that Iran will move in to take sides in a civil war. I was an adviser (MACV) early in the Vietnam war and when you go with the soldiers you are training you can call it what you want, but it is combat. His praise of the troops was well deserved.
Emotion? Please, go back and look at some of President Bush's speeches from the oval office.
His praise of the troops was well deserved.
And this was not a night to stick a knife into the Bush Administration. It was a night to speak of our troops and what they have accomplished. Emotion or lacking in substance? People in this country unfortunately aren't interested in these wars any longer. That's what the polls say. He is the President who more or less said - this is the beginning of the end. And it is he who has to see it through to the end, while the rest of us go on with our lives, with barely a mention about these wars any where.
I read not too long ago that President Nixon didn't know how to end the Vietnam War with honor. He tried and tried but he saw no way to do it. And he wanted that war over badly so he could move on to other things. I think that's where we as a country are now. But Presidents can't walk away, as much as many in this country would like him to.
He's got the substance. It's others who don't.
President Nixon did try and to end the Vietnam War with honor, but he failed to do so. Americans do not have the stomach for a long war and fail to unite behind the troops sent to fight. I have said for years, that if you are going to commit troops to fight, then you set an objective and let the military fight to win. Since WWII we have never been allowed to win a complete military victory. If you want to nation building then we should take a page from WWII, destroy the country militarily then rebuild it. There is no way we can win a limited war, at best maybe a draw but never a victory. Also we must have the support of the American people and everyone should contribute. Every war we fight should be paid for with a war tax and war bonds on the American people, then maybe, and just maybe, we will not be in a hurry to go to war.
Sfcret--
Yeah, he should have sat there and bawled like a baby 'cause he loves the troops and there is no other way to show his or the country's appreciation for their sacrifice. Had he done that you would have complained that he was not man or steely enough. You tea bagging, lightweight Beck followers are a pathetic lot.
I absolutely agree, Pat. The President gave an excellent speech. I believe he was genuine when he said that he did not doubt President Bush's sincerity (I don't doubt Bush thought he was doing the right thing); he acknowledged their differences about the war. It would have been inappropriate to flat out say--even though Bush was wrong headed in the methods. Obama pointed out the huge cost to America in troops, blood and dollars--borrowed dollars as he said; and the sacrifice of those borrowed dollars that were not spent on building America and meeting our own needs.
Great post Jody. I agree with everything you said. We the people can say whatever we want. Presidents can't. When he writes his book he can let loose then if he so chooses.
So you tell me what is worse sacrificing our troops for the good of a nation and it's people or Obama sacrificing our future on out of control spending on failed policies. People are dying everyday at least the troops died for a great cause and if you asked any Iraq person they would tell you the same thing.
I just wished you dems would be that concerned about babies being killed everyday in America due to being aborted. Look in the mirror and see what you dems have done to this nation.
His speech was a waste of 17 minutes. It completely lacked substance. We all knew we pulled out of Iraq and the combat mission was over. Did he really need to give a prime time speech on this? I will give him some credit, though. His comments towards the military and their service appeared very genuine and I appreciated that much of it.
Obama has been waiting for the war to end in Iraq so he can fix the economy. What in the hell has he been doing with all the trillions of our hard earned tax dollars. I thoiught that was to stimulate the economy. At least that is what he and the dems told us. 18 months later and trillions of dollars in debt we are worse off then when Obama took office.
Obama and the dems just made sure that they took care of their special interest groups by bailing them out with billion s of our dollars. You have people losing theiur homes at a record pace with forclosers and Obama and teh dems do nothing to help them. Where is their bailout? Unemployment in double digits, an economy in shambles because of Obama and the dems policies and Obama tells us we must turn the page. "Come On Man"
Tonight was about keeping a promise to Iraq...nothing else.
Focus, man, focus!
Get off the Obama kool aid. If you think for one second this was about keeping a promise to Iraq you are not only a fool but a complete idiot. Focus man focus on the real truth.
Da Noid, didn't you listen to the WHOLE speech? Obama brought up the economy and how much deficit spending had occurred in the last 10 years. Bush was financing a war, Obama is financing government spending for a nonexistent stimulus for 'shovel ready' jobs.
Quick Quiz...
How many times during the Bush presidency were expenditures for Iraq included in the federal budget?
Phillyboy - Bush bailed out the banks which are now making record profits and refusing to lend. Obama bailed out the automakers (to save many jobs) which are now making profits and have paid back most of the money. Obama put a process in place to help homeowners with foreclosures which is not working as well as he had hoped it would. Republicans have contributed nothing to fixing the economy and their only plan is to cut Social Security for the poor and give tax cuts to the rich, effectively redistributing the wealth to the already wealthy. If Obama had done nothing, or if the Republicans had implemented their "plan" do you think we would be economically better off now? Exactly how would that work?
Obama thanking the troops after he and the dems called them murderers baby killers and all kinds of names. Obama and teh dems were hoping that the war in Iraq would be a total failure. Dems feed on failure in America so they can get their liberal progressive socialist agenda put in place in America.
The democrats are clearly the worse of two evils in Washington.
I have yet to hear anyone call a soldier a murderer.
The Neo-Con Troika of Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, however...
Youi need to get some tapes from MSNBC over the last 10 years. You must have been living under a rock or you just remember what you want to remember. The dems just about crucify the troops and commanders in the media. How soon you liberals forget the things you say but can quote Bush going back 8 years ago of what he said.
Somebody help me out, here. I forget what comes next.
Is he supposed to rant wildly about President Obama being a narcissist with a teleprompter or does he just foam at the mouth at me telling me out I'm a liberal so I hate America?
Da Noid must not have been listening to Murtha and Durbin comparing the troops to the Gestopo. There are non who are so blind as those who will not see.
Pat you said it perfectly:
"this was not a night to stick a knife into the Bush Administration. It was a night to speak of our troops and what they have accomplished." And the rest of your post was right on.
We can argue for years about how we got there. We should acknowledge whatever good that was done and the difference our soldiers made to the people of Iraq. To the folks that post here that were actually there, (I believe Larry, for one, and others), thank you. You are heroes and you made a difference under circumstances I can only imagine.
Are you talking about the torture incidents? If so, the point was made a million times that this was a Bush Administration policy that had to stop. As is the case, usually it's the lower level military who pay for the sins of the generals and administration people who set policy. Should Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld have been prosecuted as well for torture? Most in this country believe yes. They were not. President Obama and Nancy Pelosi wanted to move on, despite pleas from the country. As far as hating the troops, it was we the people, Democrat AND Republican supporters who gave an awful lot of money to the troops when we realized they weren't being taken care of in the prior Administration. We listened to their complaints and we did what we could for them.
And then there is Blackwater. Who were they and what did they do?
Whether you like to believe it or not, not all troops were Republicans. They were Americans from every single state in this nation. And we held them in our thoughts since day one. As far as emotion goes, this does not compare to the end of WWII. It's a totally different circumstance. And we all recognize that. It's been a sad, complicated road up to this point.
Candice, my reply was meant for phillyboy, not you.
Phew, I was confused for a minute...
America needs jobs.
The unemployment rate is highest in the very groups that could build a clean energy infrastructure to make America energy independent and repair the infrastructure that is in need of repair.
Republicans claim a Depression is not the time for raising taxes on the top 2% (who don't invest when no one has money to buy anything) and is not a time for government spending.
Republicans are wrong on both accounts as Franklin Roosevelt proved when his policies got us out of the first great depression caused by Republican tax cuts and deregulation.
President Roosevelt raised the top tax rate to 90% and initiated massive government spending (including World War II, the GI Bill, regulation of banks, infrastructure spending, and a social safety net.) He won world war II and created the greatest middle class in history out of the Great Depression like a Phoenix rising from the Republican deregulation ashes.
America went from importing 24% of our oil to importing over 65% in the past 40 years.
American dependencey on foriegn energy is one of our biggest national security risks. Even worse now than during the Oil embargo of the 1970's.
America uses a lot of oil. Every day 85 million barrels of oil are produced around the world. And 21 million of those are used here in the United States.
That's 25% of the world's oil demand. Used by just 4% of the world's population.
Can't we just produce more oil?
Consider this: America imports 12 million barrels a day, and Saudi Arabia only produces 9 million a day. Is there really more undiscovered oil here than in all of Saudi Arabia?
There are several pillars to the Pickens Plan:
Create millions of new jobs by building out the capacity to generate up to 22 percent of our electricity from wind. And adding to that with additional solar generation capacity;
Building a 21st century backbone electrical transmission grid;
Providing incentives for homeowners and the owners of commercial buildings to upgrade their insulation and other energy saving options;
and Using America's natural gas to replace imported oil as a transportation fuel in addition to its other uses in power generation, chemicals, etc.
New jobs from renewable energy and conservation.
Any discussion of alternatives should begin with the 2007 Department of Energy study showing that building out our wind capacity in the Great Plains - from northern Texas to the Canadian border - would produce 138,000 new jobs in the first year, and more than 3.4 million new jobs over a ten-year period, while also producing as much as 20 percent of our needed electricity.
Building out solar energy in the Southwest from western Texas to California would add to the boom of new jobs and provide more of our growing electrical needs - doing so through economically viable, clean, renewable sources.
To move that electricity from where it is being produced to where it is needed will require an upgrade to our national electric grid. A 21st century transmission grid which will, as technology continues to develop, deliver power where it is needed, when it is needed, in the direction that it is needed, will be the modern equivalent of building the Interstate Highway System in the 1950's.
Beyond that, tremendous improvements in electricity use can be made by creating incentives for owners of homes and commercial buildings to retrofit their spaces with proper insulation. Studies show that a significant upgrading of insulation would save the equivalent of one million barrels of oil per day in energy by cutting down on both air conditioning costs in warm weather and heating costs in winter.
A domestic fuel to free us from foreign oil.
The Honda Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle is the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle in the world according to the EPA.
Conserving and harnessing renewable forms of electricity not only has incredible economic benefits, but is also a crucial piece of the oil dependence puzzle. We should continue to pursue the promise of electric or hydrogen powered vehicles, but America needs to address transportation fuel today. Fortunately, we are blessed with an abundance of clean, cheap, domestic natural gas.
Currently, domestic natural gas is primarily used to generate electricity. It has the advantage of being cheap and significantly cleaner than coal, but this is not the only use of our natural gas resources.
By aggressively moving to shift America's car, light duty and heavy truck fleets from imported gasoline and diesel to domestic natural gas we can lower our need for foreign oil - helping President Obama reach his goal of zero oil imports from the Middle East within ten years.
Nearly 33% of every barrel of oil we import is used by 18-wheelers moving goods around and across the country by burning imported diesel. An over-the-road truck cannot be moved using current battery technology. Fleet vehicles like buses, taxis, express delivery trucks, and municipal and utility vehicles (any vehicle which returns to the "barn" each night where refueling is a simple matter) should be replaced by vehicles running on clean, cheap, domestic natural gas rather than imported gasoline or diesel fuel.
The Obama Biden comprehensive New Energy for America plan will:
Provide short term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined
Put 1 million Plug In Hybrid cars – cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon – on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America
Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025
Implement an economy wide cap and trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050
Prior to 1950 the U.S. had absolute energy independence. In 1950 the USA was producing over 50 percent of the world's oil, enough for all of its own needs with plenty left over for exports. But the post World War II U.S. economic boom eventually created demand for more oil than U.S. wells could produce.
Between 1950 and 1973 (the year of the embargo) U.S. oil imports had grown from near zero to about 32 percent of U.S. oil consumption. By 1994, the U.S. was importing more oil than it produced. In 2010, oil imports will provide about 60 percent of all oil consumed in the USA.
The 1973 oil embargo had exposed the harsh reality that America was dangerously dependent on imported oil. The energy independence policies of Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter had demonstrated that America can achieve strategic energy independence through political will and legislative action.
It took nearly ten years for U.S. energy independence policies to take effect and reverse the trend of growing oil dependence, but the results were worth the effort.
For a brief period between 1982 and 1985 U.S. oil imports averaged less than 30% of total U.S. oil consumption.
Developing alternative energy sources (primarily coal, nuclear and natural gas to replace fuel oil used for heating and electricity generation) and keeping oil imports below 30% of total oil consumption had broken the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and ultimately exposed OPEC's vulnerability: dependence on oil money.
The USA enjoyed strategic energy independence between 1982 and 1985.
But then, in 1986 U.S. oil imports began to increase again. Why?
By July 1986 the price of oil had fallen below $9 per barrel. Ronald Reagan was then President of the United States.
President Reagan had abandoned the energy independence policies of his predecessors in favor of a free market policy, where private industry would provide all of America's energy needs without government interference.
The gap between the wealthiest Americans and middle- and working-class Americans has more than tripled in the past three decades, according to a June 25, 2010 report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Since 1980, we've lost half our manufacturing jobs. We've lost 10 million manufacturing jobs since job protecting tariffs were cut.
Imports are $1.563 trillion (2009 est.) $2.117 trillion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys)
March 20, 2003 the price of oil was $26 per barrel. Five years later, March 20, 2008 the price of oil had risen to $100 per barrel. Then, during July of 2008 the price of oil hit $147 per barrel, with a weekly average of $130.
From September 2007 through October 2008, the world economy was rocked by the unprecedented transfer of more than one trillion dollars from European, Asian and American economies into Middle East national treasuries in exchange for oil.
Between 2003 and the summer of 2008 the price of oil quadrupled because of market fears. War in the Middle East and threat of a nuclear armed Iran intensified worldwide fear of an oil supply interruption — fear of a global oil shortage produced the market speculation responsible for pushing oil prices to $147 per barrel during the summer of 2008.
Fear of a global oil shortage added a "fear premium" to the cost of oil, inflating the price of oil on the world market by over two trillion dollars per year. The increased cost of oil caused over two trillion dollars to be taken out of consumers' pockets worldwide. Two trillion dollars that was no longer available for buying other products and services. Global business stalled, jobs were cut, and consumers stopped spending.
The dramatic rise and fall of worldwide oil prices exposed the insidious influence of unregulated commodity speculation. Clandestine trading on the world commodity market caused the price of oil to spike to a level that would otherwise only result from a terrorist attack on a major oil production facility or supply line.
In addition to putting our security in the hands of potentially unfriendly and unstable foreign nations, we spent $475 billion on foreign oil in 2008 alone. That's money taken out of our economy and sent to foreign nations, and it will continue to drain the life from our economy for as long as we fail to stop the bleeding.
Projected over the next 10 years the cost will be $10 trillion - it will be the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.
August 17, 2010:
Less than a High school diploma, 25 or older: 15% unemployment.
High school graduates, no college, 25 or older: 10% unemployment.
Some College or Associate Degree, 25 or older: 8% unemployment.
Bachelors degree and higher, 25 or older: 5% unemployment.
America needs jobs.
The unemployment rate is highest in the very groups that could build a clean energy infrastructure to make America energy independent and repair the infrastructure that is in need of repair.
Republicans claim a Depression is not the time for raising taxes on the top 2% (who don't invest when no one has money to buy anything) and is not a time for government spending.
Republicans are wrong on both accounts as Franklin Roosevelt proved when his policies got us out of the first great depression caused by Republican tax cuts and deregulation.
President Roosevelt raised the top tax rate to 90% and initiated massive government spending (including World War II, the GI Bill, regulation of banks, infrastructure spending, and a social safety net.) He won world war II and created the greatest middle class in history out of the Great Depression like a Phoenix rising from the Republican deregulation ashes.
We can solve our economic problems, our lack of jobs, by solving our energy dependence and infrastructure problems and restrict the necessary spending to products made in America.
The programs the FDR put in place employed millions of people because building roads and infrastructure took millions of people. Today, with machinery and technology, a road can be built by less than 20 men.
Raising the tax rates on the top 2% won't necessarily raise tax revenues. The top 2% will find ways to shelter more of their money.
Creating new technology for affordable, clean energy takes engineering, innovation, math and science. The highest percentage of unemployed according to your figures have only or less than a high school education. They will not be the ones developing clean energy solutions.
What a waste of space. FDR didn't end the recession, World War II did.
Umm, dude, so do you think that building all of those guns, tanks, boats, bombs, etc. where free to produce? Think about that for a second. On top of FDR's domestic spending, WWII was just more "guvmint spendin" Oh and remember The Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe? More spending there too. I am really quite concerned with our country when so many of our citizens don't have a basic understanding of our own history, and its precedents. History homeslice, history.
And yeah to Age of Reason, I am with you 100%, but dang... brevity yo!
AgeOfReason,
Awesome post but a tad bit long. That was an article. I loved it!
I sure wish people would quit making 5 'page down' posts... Whatever happened to limits? Please FR?
I missed the speach but I'm sure it was great. Our President can definitly deliver speeches. I'm glad we're out of Iraq since we should have never been there. Regarding if Iraq is better of now than before the invasion?.........what's the Iranian word for "SUCKERS!"?
Now he's tackling the economy and jobs? Looks like he was waiting until shortly before the elections to throw the country a morsel, hoping that the economic news will be good and everyone will applaud him and the democrat minions. To little, to late.
Least appreciated, however, are the war's strategic costs, the implications of which the U.S. will likely be grappling with for decades.
You know Jomama even if you had something viable to say, which is not often, your continued remarks like "reichwing" and "dopes of nope" and your other useless hyperbole makes anything you write meaningless. If you could just say what you think and move on people might have some respect for your opinions.
I actually agree with you here, but with one caveat. Are you quick to admonish those on the right who speak in almost nothing but pejorative/hyperbole when speaking about our President, or those with whom disagree?
Oh, and calling someone a "waste of space" as you stated in an earlier post is not exactly living up to your own standard.
Good post though 'Mama' I like things like numbers n' facts.
Anjahdadi also agrees.
Holla!
Jomama, your initial comment before the numbers and facts unfortunately runied your otherwise informative post. Just the facts without negative name calling comments would have been more effective.
Anyone that thinks this is over is delusional. Does anyone really thing our enemies are now just going to ignore the 50,000 troops in a Muslim country? The word propaganda comes to mind but some how it sounds more like pure politics and a president out of touch with reality. BTW - The draw down started under Bush but this article certainly didn't mention that!
Definitely not over by a longshot, unfortunately. You are right on there. But you lose me with the whole "...a president out of touch with reality" bit. Come on yall, he is just giving propers to the troops and went out of his way to be kind the "Dub." Give the man a break for cryin out loud.
We'll be arguing for years on whether the Iraq war was worth it. Did the surge work? Depends on how you define success. Ask yourself:
Is there a working central government in Iraq? No.
Are people dying daily in sectarian violence? Yes.
Will either of these situations improve in our lifetime? Doubtful.
Everytime someone says the surge worked, you just admit that the Bush administration was absolutely wrong about everything that told us about the need and urgency to go to war.
Was it over quick as he promised? No.
Was it cheap or did Iraq pay for it as he promised? No.
Someone tell me how any of this can be considered a success.
But Agent Orange and McCain said it was so it must be! Those liberal dems are trying to steal their limelight! Well they can have it. We should never have gone in the first place like Obama said way back in 2002 Sadaam would have in time end up dustbin of history.
Great speech by a great speaker (it is so wonderful to hear someone from the Oval office speak and not butcher the American version of the English language!). I'm thrilled we can finally stop dumping all our money into Iraq and start using it either here at home or where our real war is - in Afghanistan, where we should have been and stayed starting Sept. 12, 2001.
President Obama is right, now it is time to consentrate on our problems here at home , yes we have problems, you can not send all our resources away, spend all our money, and deplete the treasurery (even if the amount was not counted in President Bush's budget, it was there - fuzzy math again) without suffering on the homefront. Lets attack this economy like we attack our enemies and we will be back in good financial shape in no time.
And I am always impressed when an elected official actually manages to complete a campaign promise.
Thanks to all the men and women in uniform who have given so much of themselves for this war. God Bless You...By the way I found a website that give you prizes for your opinions and 4 play games here is the topic about this:
http://opinion.ezwingame.com/topics/obama-us-combat-in-iraq-over-time-to-turn-page