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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- President Obama told the graduating class of Air Force Academy cadets that they would be starting their military careers in an international environment shaped largely by his administration's policies.
The president described a new era in combat defined by stronger international alliances and a leaner fighting force, shaped by this administration's work to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and efforts to overhaul the defense budget.
“For a decade, we have labored under the dark cloud of war. Now, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon,” Obama said, noting that this class was the first to graduate in nine years with no American soldiers fighting in Iraq. He mentioned several of his administration’s other defining national security actions, including killing Osama bin Laden, putting al Qaeda on “the path to defeat,” and drawing down forces in Afghanistan.
Speaking to at an Air Force graduation ceremony, President says. "We can say with confidence and pride: The United States is stronger, safer and more respected in the world." Watch the entire speech.
“Ending these wars will also ensure that the burden of our security no longer falls so heavily on the shoulders of our men and women in uniform. As good as you are, you can’t be expected to do it alone.”
Obama, who campaigned on ending the war in Iraq, suggested that the view of the United States around the world has improved since his administration implemented his national security plan.
“Around the world, the United States is leading once more. From Europe to Asia, our alliances are stronger than ever. Our ties with the Americas are deeper. We’re setting the agenda in the region that will shape our long-term security and prosperity like no other—the Asia-Pacific.”
“When people around the world are asked, 'Which country do you admire most?' one nation comes out on top: the United States of America,” he added.
During the speech at the Academy’s Falcon Field, the president also seemed to subtly push back on some criticisms he’s weathered from opponents on his approach to national security.
Alluding to the criticism that the United States had “led from behind” during the March 2011 military operations in Libya, the president turned that phrase around, saying that the military prevented a massacre in the country “with an international mission in which the United States – and our Air Force – led from the front,” with extra emphasis on the last word of the sentence.
Obama also paraphrased a conservative buzzword –- “American exceptionalism” -- often used by Republican detractors to criticize the president's worldview.
“The United States has been, and will always be, the one indispensable nation in world affairs. This is one of the many examples of why America is exceptional,” he said.
And later, he used the phrase again: “I see an American Century because of the character of our country—the spirit that has always made us exceptional.”
The president also noted the spending reductions that will affect the military in the coming years, mandated in part by last summer's debt-ceiling agreement. But he said that he would not “allow us to make the mistakes of the past,” without getting into specifics.
The trip was the president’s second to Colorado, a crucial swing state for his re-election, in a month. He visited the University of Colorado at Boulder on April 23 on an official visit intended to urge Congress to pass measures to keep student loan interest rates low.
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What was that, you folks were saying about taking credit for someone elses plan? Obama has followed the Bush-Iraq draw down strategy to the letter.
So I guess it must be OK for him to take all the credit, eh?
Obama=Bush Lite
Sure, when it was Candidate Obama and President-elect Obama's idea and he boxed a lame duck President Bush into a corner where he signed a deal that was largely Obama's idea. I know you righties do have a short attention span but you should remember all the bleating and crying on the right against setting a date for withdrawing the troops from Iraq.
Hey WCA. How did you get to make the first post on a thread?
Are you paid by First Read to be here?
Isn't what you and the other RWNJ's ask about Feisty all the time?
Then when you get the opportunity you wasted it with a comment like that. Too bad.
If a republican had been elected in 2008 there is no doubt in my mind that we would waging war somehwere else by now.
Wasn't it Obama that was against the surge ... said what actually turned the war around and won the Iraq war - would NOT WORK.
And you give him credit .... the guy that couldn't even negotiate a US presense when 70% of Iraq wanted one?
How moronic can you be?
You set a date when you have won - Bush did.
And btw - Obama said Afghanistan was the smart war, the war that had to be won - that he war he would win.
How many years has it been since Obama has even uttered the word "win" in talking about Afghanistan?
Now Afghanistan has said they will side with Pakistan (our former ally) if it comes to conflict .... Afghans are shooting our soldiers in the back of the head .... ALL FOR A "RESPONSIBLE" WITHDRAWAL!
How pathetic.
White Collar Auto Idiot
What was that, you folks were saying about taking credit for someone else's plan? Obama has followed the Bush-Iraq draw down strategy to the letter.
So I guess it must be OK for him to take all the credit, eh?
Obama=Bush Lite
Bush Lied!!! He let bin Laden go in the mountains of Afghanistan.
WASH POST: After letting bin Laden escape in late 2001, Bush called off the hunt for Osama and instead prepared for war in Iraq.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/09/AR2006090901105_pf.html
=======================================================
Bush also said... He truly was not concerned about bin Laden
Remember, this is just SIX MONTHS after 9/11. In response to a reporters question, President Bush tells the world that he is "truly not that concerned" with catching the man who murdered 3,000 Americans just six months and two days earlier because "we've marginalized him."
Please note that he ALMOST says "I don't know where he is, nor do I... (really care)." but catches himself in mid-sentence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PGmnz5Ow-o
"He hides in caves while sending young people off to die.
Yup, it on tape; White Collar idiot. Certaintly, you can't deny that.
I love the way our President stands tall and tells the truth.
Unlike "W" our President is no punk and does not LIE. He cares about our saftey in the world, our economy not failing, and our future. Bush didn't otherwise he would not lie.
http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkjsa0vvlq1qzu2tdo1_400.gif
He promiseded to get bin Laden and he did. Bush plain and simply put Lied and didn't care about it !!!
p
Just goes to show, the right wing nuts aren't up to the task! lol
Poor WCA...
Hey No more, do me a favor and go through all my posts, and find a place, anyplace, where I give a crap about who posts first on this site.
And do you know why you can go check them? Because I haven't hidden them like the Lefty Cowards on this site who are ashamed of the things they post.
Then rather than debate my post you go to personal attacks. Don't you folks ever get tired of coming here day after day and posting the same drivel?
And now I see your back - up is here with, as usual, nothing to add but more crap.
Knowing that it got under your skin is just a bonus.
From Bev:
Yup, it on tape
He promiseded
You know Bev, you seem to get more and more incoherent by the day. You really ought to lay off the sauce. Drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.
I think it's time for you to take a look at a Jellinek Chart, cause I think you may be at the bottom.
Come on WCA. They were just having fun with you. Looking back on your posts, if anyone has anything to be ashamed of, that would be you. Oh, and watch your language. Using profanity is often a ploy used to compensate for a tiny vocabulary. Too bad they got under your skin.
LMFAO!! I wouldn't waste a single second of my time to look for any of the previous nonsense you have posted.
Almost everyone here in support of President Obama continue to post many reasons why we like what he has done for this country and what he could accomplish without the obstructionists of the GOP in Congress.
I rarely see you or anyone from the right giving any reasons for your support of Romney. Just about anything any of you can come up with is that you don't want Obama in the White House. But that's what you've all been saying since he was elected. The GOP has lowered our credit rating and made a mockery of our political endeavors in their effort to unseat the president.
The GOP (Great Obstructionist Party) and people like you are Pathetic and not worthy of any more of my time.
Wow WCA, Bev really did get under your skin. How is your blood pressure?
Romney wanted to bet $10,000.00 he could spell Foreign Policy
No white collar idiot, typing is not my forte. If you couldn't follow the context than you are a bigger idiot that what it appears to be.
And yet, Nomore, Wayne, Bev and Red still can't debate my point.
Crap is not profanity and I'm just worried about Bev, she has been dimmer than usual lately and I think one of you treehouse folks should check on her. She never answered my friend request......
Careful Wayne!
If you ride him too hard, he'll whip out his victim card!
Especially since SpankMe isn't around, he has no ones skirt to hide behind!
The little dude folds like a cheap suit & starts bawling!
Hide behind?
What a load of crap. Feisty you couldn't go 1 on 1 with a single conservative on this board. Without your buds around to back you up , you're nothing but a whiny snivveling little worm. Counting your vote totals for validation and trying so very hard to be relevant in this make believe world. Pathetic.
4 of you now trying your hardest and all you do is continue to look like fools.
Still no one with a cogent thought. Just a bunch of third grade retorts.
Come on Nomore did you really laugh your efinn ass off? or is that something you learmned from a teenage girl?
What a bunch of cowards.
Can I call it or WHAT? lol
See above...
Jesus Christ Feisty, do you even know what victim means?
For a good example, look around at your treehouse friends and then take a look in amirror. You folks are the epitome of "victims".
and losers.
Bob while you seem to want to give bush credit for everything, you forgot to mention the part about how bush abandoned the war in Afghanistan to start a war based on lies, a war of choice in Iraq that has killed and wounded more Americans that OBL on 9/11. Then you forgot how those wars and the tax cuts for the rich created a huge deficit.
Then for the shear nerve of being elected the republicans deemed that the entire economy was President Obama's fault and the republicans were going to block anything that would improve our economy and blame that on him too.
But somehow President Obama has not fixed bush's and the republicans messes quite to your liking. So no complain about how the mess got there. No complaints that our country should have never been in the dire straits of huge deficits in the first place.
In 8 years the republicans took our country from a surplus, left by democrats, looking to be totally out of debt by 2010 to the largest deficit in our history by 2008.
And you want to blame President Obama and the democrats?
Okay, I get it now!
This morning when YOU & YOUR pack of rabid dogs were frantically trying to hunt down another poster, it's all good in your book!
But, when handed a taste of your own medicine, you piss yourself!
Thanks for clearing that up for us! lmao
I'll stand by my observation - not only does no one play victim quite like you, you're also a p@ssy!
Like I said, if it wasn't for double standards you right wing nitwits wouldn't have any!
alright WCA, now you have used the Lord's name in vain. You have broken one of the commandments. Now you must do your penance. Your choice. Either ten "Hail Feisty's" or you must contribute generously to your local animal shelter.
Obama = Bush (minus a jumpsuit)
“Around the world, the United States is leading once more. From Europe to Asia, our alliances are stronger than ever. Our ties with the Americas are deeper. We’re setting the agenda in the region that will shape our long-term security and prosperity like no other—the Asia-Pacific.”
“When people around the world are asked, 'Which country do you admire most?' one nation comes out on top: the United States of America,” he added.
Gosh, don't you just hate it when the President keeps going around the world "apologizing" for America like this? :)
If torture was legal under George W. I wish he would go visit Europe. I'm sure he would be welcomed with open arms. Of course those open arms would be putting him in handcuffs. I can't believe people voted for that A hole and now the same people want to present the world a President Romney? Wow! Talk about short term memories.
Nazi War Criminals have been hunted down for 50 + years.....
........so, maybe there's hope that justice will be served up for the Bush/Cheney Administration.
I bet neither Bush or Cheney will ever go back to Europe.
I've always been proud of my country, but I wasn't proud of the leadership we got under the last administration. He dragged our country through the mud by torturing POW's, made rich people richer, tanking the economy, and was responsible for tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths of our own citizens and those abroad.
President Obama has restored out international image and the economy is improving, and he is ending the two longest wars in our history. Now I am proud of our nation's leadership. Lets do that for four more years. The president deserves ten more.
I never thought that President Obama went around and apologized for America. I did feel as if he demonstrated to the rest of the world that our principles of democracy had worked and that there was new leadership in our country with a new direction and agenda.
Steeler Fan,
At times there was a heck of a lot to apologize for. I'm Sure that Papa Bush often had to apologize for Junior's drunken antics, and this situation was much the same on an international scale. Sometimes we needed to aplogize for what our ex president, Dick Cheney, did and said during the last administration.
I believe the World Court can arrest both Cheney and Bush for war crimes should they leave good old US soil so, we're stuck with them!
SeekingSanity -- Cheney (said like Seinfeld says "Newman").
It's bad enough that Romney has so many Bush people on his staff, some really rightwing ones for foreign policy according to Colin Powell. But heaven save our country if Romney let's Cheney do his VP vetting, or does a study on "privatizing" the military. We'd end up with Cheney as VP again and Haliburton running the world. Cheney, the only congressman who supported Reagan's Iran-Contra affair, and don't go hunting with him. Could there be a more dastardly politician than Cheney? He's still alive you know...
What is it with the GOP/TP being filled with so many douchebags? Busting unions to destroy funding for the Dems--along with the right-leaning SCOTUS and Citizen's United, and look at Florida. As if Katherine Harris wasn't bad enough now Rick Scott is trying to throw people out of the registration records to suppress the vote.
After tampering with voting machines in 2000 and gawd knows what all, the only way Republicans can grab power or hold on to it is to cheat. And in Romney's case LIE like crazy. Throw these Teapubicans out, and don't let them back unless and until they clean up their act.
I definitely saw this when I looked at the President's reception in Columbia. Too bad the coverage of the trip in the US was overshadowed by the Secret Service scandal.
It was remarkable to see an American President greeted so warmly there, but that has been true everywhere President Obama has travelled overseas in the last three years. What a relief, after the Bush years, to see America liked again.
edit: great minds think alike JoAnne!
You, me, and the President, Ames! Here's some more from his speech that really gets to the heart of the matter:
"The world stage is not a popularity contest. As a nation, we have vital interests, and we will do what is necessary to defend the country we love—even if it’s unpopular. But make no mistake, how we’re viewed in the world has consequences—for our national security, for your lives.
When other countries and people see us as a partner, they’re more willing to work with us. It’s why more countries joined us in Afghanistan and Libya. It’s why nations like Australia are welcoming our forces, to stand side-by-side with allies and partners in the South Pacific. It’s why Uganda and its African neighbors have welcomed our trainers to help defeat a brutal army that slaughters civilians.
I think of the Japanese man in the disaster zone who, upon seeing our airmen delivering relief, said, “I never imagined they could help us so much.” I think of the Libyans who protected our airman when he ejected over their town, because they knew America was there to protect them. And—in a region where we’ve seen the burning of American flags—I think of all the Libyans who were waving American flags."
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/05/23/obama-air-force-graduates-entering-a-different-world/
I for one am proud to have a President who recognizes that there's much more to international relations than just saying "You're either with us or you're against us".
After seeing Bush make stupid statements about the age of Queen Elizabeth II and calling President Putin of Russia "pooty poot poot" as if he was some 8 year old pal down the street it is a pleasure to have a president that shows respect for the leaders of other nations and whose elegance and demeanor with an ability to speak without mincing the English language.
Romney is just what Norquist ask for a puppet to sign the republican bills to protect the rich from ever having to pay their fair share.
Romney does not care about the people by his budget he is only concerned that the job creators get permanent tax cuts. Maximize profits for the rich at the cost of America. Just a continuation of his Bain thinking. His donors are now his clients that he must make rich.
Romney's experience tells him to load the company up with debt, That is exactly what he plans on doing here in America. His budget adds 10 Trillion to the deficit. Romney forgets to tell you that the wildfire of debt heading towards you was lit by the republicans and they keep fanning the flames.
If Romney really knows what he is doing about the economy he would be touting his great successful government experience. But when you are 47th out of 50 states in job creation when you are governor, it is hard to pass off your are a job creator.
While Palin and her husband were members of an un-american group in Alaska, the lets suceed Alaska from America, she does not have much room to talk about others pallin' around with un-american groups.
VOTE FOR REAL FREEDOM...VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT 2012
I meant let's secede Alaska from America for the grammar police.
Thats ok Republicans don't know the difference unless your spelling Budweiser
LMAO - I think they prefer the KISS principle & just go with Bud!
President Obama and his team brought our country from "Cowboy to Diplomacy" thank goodness
I hope people wake up and see this for what it is - a gutting of public education, and a creation of a caste system of education. The teachers unions simply aren't the problem - most states have such tight restrictions on the unions that they have little of no effect on public education policies. And still the redest of Red states have the same poor education (worse in many cases) as the bluest of the union Blue states. The problem is that local funding and control creates disparities and state control favors suburban/ex-urban schools over inner city and rural. It's not even remotely a federal problem. What Romney wants is to do nationally what the Blue states don't want to do on a large scale - create charter, voucher schools. It's nothing new to the old South. They created a separate school system in response to desegregation. After years of the states abandoning the inner city schools, along comes the GOP nationally as the "white knight" offering the charter school as the way out. This all could have been done under existing structures, but as seen in Wisconsin, the real target is the teachers, administrators and local school boards. In the end, suburban schools with solid property tax bases will have the amenities. Inner city schools will be bare bones. The real victims will be the border line districts which will see out flows of parents and students who can move to better suburbs.
Let's see, Obama's foreign policy victories:
1) Ignored the pleas of Iranians in 2009 to help them overturn their current radical regime, letting others in similar situations know that America won't stand behind them.....ever.
2) Has done absolutely nothing to even slow down Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon, let alone stop them.
3) Has managed to completely botch the relationship with Pakistan.
4) Has let Russia and Putin get the upper hand on a variety of issues.
5) Can't even get a Chinese dissident out of the country in a timely manner
6) Alienated our neighbor to the north by stalling the Keystone XL pipeline project.
7) Has completely lost control of any of the events now tearing apart the Middle East.
8) Threw Israel under the bus.....more than once.
9) Is losing the war in Afghanistan.
10) Has managed to lose a drone over enemy territory as well as top secret stealth technology during the Bin Laden raid.
11) Comprised national security by releasing top secret details of the Bin Laden raid and exposing Seal Team 6, all for purely political reasons.
Fifteen years after its collapse, Romney can still see the Soviet Union in his dreams. Russia is nervous about the possible effects of that on their nascent, corrupt capitalism. Romney will load up our corrupt capitalism retaliatory power, quite by accident.
We have never before, had a President that boasted of his accomplishments, as this man has. Is it a big ego, or inferiority complex?
What was W doing when he landed on an aircraft carrier with a big "Mission Accomplished " banner displayed as if that were the case
What is he even doing there the Military has historically voted Republican.
How do the cadets feel about the attempt to surpress the Military vote by the Obama Administrations Justice department urging States to ask for a waiver to not comply with the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act?
More grand standing from the Community Organizer in Chief and more dirty work from Eric Holder.
Why don't we ever hear the daily casualty report from Afghanistan anymore? We see Obama likes to take credit for killing OBL and how he keeps bragging about what he did. I haven't heard him say much of anything about the fact that 1334 American soldiers have given their life, as of May 10, 2012, since Obama became President. (There was 625 during Bush's time as President). Some of the American deaths came at the hands of the Afghanistan military, you know those that we are paying for. OBL has been killed, that was our main purpose for going into Afghanistan, so why are we still there and why is Obama promising a POS like Karzai the US will continue to support Afghanistan until 2024. Also why is the US paying 90+% of cost in Afghanistan, good negotiating Mr. President?
Obama did not end the Iraq War, it was ended based on the agreement signed by President Bush and the Iraqi government. Obama tried to negotiate an agreement to keep a few thousand troops in Iraq, but could not reach an agreement with the Iraqi government. Now he wants to take credit when he was against the surge, Joe Biden said the war was lost as did Harry Reid and Pelosi.
Pats himself on the back and takes another victory lap. Is another Nobody Peace Prize coming is way?
Is he unaware of what he has done and his negative effects on our military in the future or does he think the cadets are fools?
All the righties are upset with the Obama victory lap with regards the killing of Bin Laden these are the same crazies who say Obama runs around apologizing to the world for the actions of the U.S., The righties want it both ways we cannot celebrate that we took out the manic that killed thousands of Americans. The righties will always try to take out Obama, I just hope that he defeats Romney because he will have then defeated the GOP's purpose while he was in office (4 Years) and nothing to show for it, Hopefully the Dems can take back both houses and keep the Presidency and get something accomplished for the country as a whole not just for the rich.
Reading these liberal posts I think the dumbing down of America has succeeded. You idiots are beyond hope.
There's something really pathetic about the right-wingers who continually bitch about the President and what he's accomplished over the past three and a half years.
The Republicans accuse the President Obama foocontinually apologizing for the US and its policies. Yet, Osama bin Laden and the others who helped to plan and execute the attacks on New York and Washington are no longer around to brag about how they "defeated" the US. The US is held in high esteem around the world by because of the successful policies of the Obama administration - and particularly the efforts of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - who is so roundly hated and maligned by the right-wingers. I don't remember the President or the Secretary of State apologizing to the tyrants in Egypt or Libya for supporting freedom efforts in those countries.
The Republicans continually bitch about the economy and how the President and his staff have done nothing to improve it. Yet, even Republican economists admit that the President's actions in saving the auto industry in this country deserve praise and admiration. there are millions of people working at good-paying jobs who would have been out of luck if the President hadn't acted as he did.
The Republicans continually accuse the President of implementing "job destroying" policies of oversight and regulation which supposedly "strangle" businesses and prevent them from creating jobs. Yet, the unemployment rate is down to just over eight percent, and private sector job creation has been strong for over a year.
The Mitt Romney campaign is busily assembling a cast of characters that were participants in the disastrous Bush?Cheney administration that lef the country in a shambles when they left office in January of 2009. It appears that Romney and his backers have a very strong desire to return to the Bush/Cheney policies - the very policies that created the situation they are so ineptly trying to blame on Barack Obama and his administration.
Come on republicans! It was only three and half years ago!
Do Romney and his rich-b!tch friends really think the American people don't remember who put the country in the ditch with their tax cuts for billionaires and millionaires - and their two wars?
Do these people really think that they can use their billions of dollars to buy totally false ads that will somehow convince us that what we saw and endured at the hands of Bush?Cheney never really happened?
Nonsense!
In the last 30 years we have seen many great leaders, but none from the republican party. We have seen thugs and looters from the republican party that have taken money from the middle class and given to their rich friends. On the name of national security, they create enemies and then go for wars that are their self created, including the events of 9/11. We continue to see so many dumb down republicans who do not know what is good for them and for their community. They are so hateful when they see that hard working minorities succeed, they continue to think how they get rid of them even if it means electing people who will hurt their own interest. They talk about capitalism, but they hate when others are better than they are. He hurts people on the right to see any Democrat to talk sense, what when it is a black president, it hurts them even more. We need to start ignoring people on the right, as they are slowly going to diminish anyway.