Apr 07 2009
A Good Day In Iraq For President Obama
President Obama has always had the opportunity to really shine. Our country gives a lot of deference to the person sitting as Command-in-Chief (rightfully so). I am really glad to see two things on Drudge today and want to memorialize them as a good day for President Obama. The first is this heart warming picture of our troops with their Command-in-Chief .
While I know most in the military are not in a swoon over our young new President, I do hope the President and our military can develop a bond of respect and mutual success. This is why I part company with those on the far right hoping Obama fails. That kind of short-sighted thinking has horrible repercussions.
We have this President for the next four years (unless he does something horrifically wrong), and we need a symbiotic relationship between his administration and our military. Too many heroic lives in the military are on the line to hope for anything less. Even if it means losing more elections for the GOP. If our brave men and women can risk and sacrifice all for this nation, we can hope the best comes for our President so those sacrifices and risks can be minimized. And if that requires losing some elections, so be it.
The second good news is the maturing view President Obama has on Iraq:
U.S. President Barack Obama, visiting U.S. troops in Iraq, told them on Tuesday that the next 18 months would be critical for their mission in the country.Â
“This is going to be a critical period, these next 18 months,” Obama said, referring to the Aug 2010 deadline for the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops from Iraq.
“You will be critical in terms of us being able to make sure Iraq is stable, that it is not a safe haven for terrorists, and we can start bringing our folks home,” Obama told troops at Camp Victory, the sprawling U.S. military base on the outskirts of Baghdad.Â
The White House said that the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, told Obama that even with bombings this week in Iraq, the level of violence in the country is the lowest since the start of the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003
Emphasis mine. Sounds just like President Bush – which is why this is great news to the Iraqis, those who fought in Iraq, and the loved ones of those who were killed or injured in Iraq. President Obama is honoring their sacrifice by setting conditions for victory before we begin any efforts to pull back our troops.
A heart felt “Thank You, Mr President” for making this important decision.
Update: While I am applauding the Obama Administration for continuing Bush policies I need to note its efforts to also be consistent on the NSA-FISA front.Â
President Barack Obama invoked “state secrets” to prevent a court from reviewing the legality of the National Security Agency’s warantless wiretapping program, moving late Friday to have a lawsuit that challenged the program dismissed.
The move — which holds that information surrounding the massive eavesdropping program should be kept from the public because of its sensitivity — follows an earlier decision in March to block handover of documents relating to the Bush Administration’s decision to spy on a charity. The arguments also mirror the Bush Administration’s efforts to dismiss an earlier suit against AT&T.
Another well earned “Thank You, Mr. President” for not failing by being a far left liberal on some critical matters. Sorry Rush, that’s two non-failures for President Obama, and I am glad to see them given the American lives at stake for each one.
I agree AJ, this is good for our men and woman in uniform, and good for us at home. I’m sure Rush would agree on this point, because first in his book comes America and those who defend it. I heard Rush the day that he said with qualification that he wished Obama to fail. I thought at the time…….boy, you’re in big trouble today, this will make a great sound bite. Rush is a lover of this country, of life, liberty and happiness and everything that supports those concepts. To me that isn’t far anything, it is what we are all about. If Obama supports our guys I’m with him, I just think it is a shame he has to denigrate President Bush publicly at every stop. It makes him look small. There is a saying, you need to walk in my shoes to know where I’ve been. We have problems for sure and Obama is now the leader of all of us. The problems we have can be corrected and we can eventually move forward again. The death of three thousand citizens can’t be corrected no matter how hard you try. My hope is that Obama matures some, because with maturity he might be able put himself in another’s shoes. That would be a good thing!
“Sorry Rush, that’s two non-failures for President Obama, and I am glad to see them given the American lives at stake for each one.”
I am no big Rush fan but I am not sure at all that Rush wants to Obama to fail on this. AJ I see your post on Global warning. It appears you want Obama to fail on policies you think are wacked
Whats the difference. I have problems with the far right. Though looking at the post below you did on religion I don’t seem to have the view of putting them all in the same box and realizing there is more diversity than you do.
Just saying I think people know what RUsh meant. I know what you mean by when you criticize the President. At the end of the day I don’t realize how your criticisms more superior than Rushes and on higher ground.
AJ;
I agree with Rush that I want Obama’s policies to fail. If they succeed, we will be moving towards a very socialist country. Why work hard and play by the rules when the Gov. will make everyone equal.
I’m glad Obama made it to Iraq to see our troops. But like all Obama’s visits and performances, this one also appears to be staged. See Mac Ranger’s blog on this.
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Got this email from a sergeant that was there.
“We were pre-screened, asked by officials “Who voted for Obama?â€, and then those who raised their hands were shuffled to the front of the receiving line. They even handed out digital cameras and asked them to hold them up.â€
Take a look at the picture at AP and notice all the cameras are the same models? Coincidence? I think not.
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http://macsmind.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/about-that-obama-iraq-visit/
Sunshine,
What kind of fool focuses on some supposedly canned photo and misses the whole point about continuing Bush’s policies in Iraq?
Would that be bitter fools wandering in political exile? Geez!
This is why the far right is now the least popular political movement of the times. Get some grace and buy a few clues. Are you telling me politics is staged!
Whodathunkit. Did Macranger just figure that out???
As I noted I am well aware most of the military has doubts and distrust of Obama. Read slower so you don’t miss the important parts. I can encourage moves in the right direction – or are you just for failure no matter what the cost???
For all those right wingers praying hard times will hit Obama, the country has a message for you. You’re political viability will be determined by whether you pay heed to the message.
Lets face it. This joker had to do something to redeem himself after he cowered, groveled, and did everything to ingratiate himself to his Muslim buddies except kiss Blue Beard’s ass. He was getting bad press for bad mouthing his own country in front of our sworn enemies.. His performance in Iraq was staged to make him look like he didn’t really hate America and really did support our troops. It was all a big show to fool the gullible American people.
Gees AJ, you don’t have to be a right wing nut case to be scared of the direction Obama might be taking the country. Well you don’t know for sure what that direction is, because all the balls are up in the air and we’re not sure where they are going to land. I’m not surprised that most people think he’s the ants pants reincarnated……….because the media sure does. What the media tells us must surely be true, right? I think the media does a big disfavor making Obama the untouchable because my lying eyes are looking and I’m thinking, what are they trying to hide……..that’s not what I saw, that’s not what I heard. So now I’m going to question everything. That doesn’t make me a right wing nut case!
AJ;
You don’t have to be a fool to see the writing on the wall. Obama is leading this country in the wrong direction – socialism. If you don’t wake up and see that, then I feel sorry for you. In the last 70 or so days, he has spent more money and expanded government to it’s greatest size than any other president in history. Reagan was faced with a worst recession and he lead us out of it by cutting taxes.
Why do people always want to “give him a chance”? If the people don’t speak up now, we will be going to a “dark” place – socialism.
You missed most of my comments in that I hope his policies fail. Do you want universal health care? Do you want a smaller military? Do you want the Gov. telling who in a private company is making too much? Do you want the Gov. to bail out homeowners who can’t pay their mortgages (who shouldn’t have them in first place)? Do you want higher taxes? When the Bush tax rates expire – bingo – higher taxes. Yes I want all these policies and any others like it to Fail.
People see him as a great person, smart, etc. I see him as a great speech giver, and with an agenda that we don’t see. He makes a lot of people follow him because of the fear and crisis he creates. I remember when the second stimulus package had to be signed or the world would end. They rush it through, No one reads it, and then he goes on vacation. Signs it a few days later. So much for the “the world will end if we don’t get it passed today”. It’s hard to believe a word he says when so much is performance, fear and shows.
In regards to Obama showing up in Iraq, I think it was great that he supported the troops – but when he says ” need to start now for the Iraqis do take up the fight” Doesn’t he realize we already turned over 10 or so providence’s to them? See this is the “empty suit”. He only wants to put on a good show, but nothing behind it.
Oh well, enjoy.
For all those right wingers praying hard times will hit Obama
They’ll come, just as surely as the night follows day. But that will be a result of his policies.
As you sow, so shall you reap.
“The government’s promises, on present plans, will be unaffordable. If they are honoured regardless, the only question is which comes first: broadly based tax increases or fiscal collapse. Welcome home, Mr President.“
Obama apologizes for America and the Iraq war all over Europe and then goes to Baghdad and tells the troops it’s time now kiddies for you to put down your awful guns — even AFTER they’d already turned over control of 13 of 18 provinces to the Iraqis.
It’s little wonder his visit had to be stage-managed. This is the same guy who trashed these guys’ noble mission during its most difficult days — for political gain.
The same guy who refused to visit Normandy for fear of offending someone. Is there any question, if faced with the need to commit U.S. troops to combat somewhere in the world, that his decision would be guided more by his own political fortunes and other countries’ “feelings”, than by what is right for THIS country?
He’s only “continuing Bush’s policies in Iraq” because it’s to his political advantage right now. He couldn’t muster so much as a mention of the troops’ great accomplishments and the wonder of Iraq moving from brutal dictatorship to a democracy, albeit fragile, in a few short years, for any of his audiences elsewhere on his trip.
Could have offended someone.
Might it occur to us that perhaps the Republican Party’s image would be EVEN WORSE, were it not for the relatively small footprint of the “far right” media and the job it does informing people and providing an alternative POV to what would otherwise be absolutely NOTHING but TOTAL FAWNING? Is there really a reliable cause and effect relationship between their audience numbers and GOP poll numbers?
Or might the trend be more accurately attributed to the newfound boldness of the Bush/Iraq war-deranged liberal BULK of the media in their promotion of, and covering up for, left-wing candidates, and their savaging of anything Republican/conservative?
Sarah Palin comes to mind. Was her decline in approval really due to just herself? Was it because of the almost universal, overwhelming positive support of right-wing talkers? Or was it perhaps more to do with the steady dour drumbeat of the Brian Williamses, the Katie Courics, the Tina Feys, the John Stewarts, the Olbermans, the Matthews — and the twinkle-eyed Obama love and approval emanating from Oprah, The View, Ellen, and let’s not forget — Tyra?
The latest Rassumssen poll has the generic congressional ballot nearly tied, with the GOP having actually gone ahead recently — a rare occurrence. This during a period of increased noise by, and attention to, those crazy right-wing loudmouths on the radio and TV. No doubt just a coincidence.
AJ, I think that picture is photo-shopped. Something is wrong with it..Just mentioning this. 🙂