For the president's speech tonight...

[DrummerDeanna]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/DeannaRG/Bingo050628j.jpg

[Hawkeye]

:laugh: Thats funny. Im sure a Bingo will be quite easy to come by.

[skcin]

Oh, he's going to be on tonight? :rolleyes: Good time to use my Blockbuster free rental coupon.

[estranged4life]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/DeannaRG/Bingo050628j.jpg

but I dont, But if I did that would be one empty B-I-N-G-O card!!!

Btw, Can the Magical Mystery Shrub even spell B-I-N-G-O without using that childhood song to guide him???

[DrummerDeanna]

Yeah - he's giving a "panic speech" tonight.

Approval rate is dropping and apparently he's going to outline some sort of "plan" for Iraq or something or other...:shrug: I'm miffed simply because I have to be at the station to make sure the thing airs.

[estranged4life]

There once was a President
Who didnt have a clue and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who declared a war to feed his ego and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who has royally f--ked up America and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

[DrummerDeanna]

There once was a President
Who didnt have a clue and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who declared a war to feed his ego and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who has royally f--ked up America and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Ho'****!! I think I just busted something...I'm laughin' so hard over here :]

[hayley]

The president and his speech can suck it! I'd pay a million bucks to see Fox's rerun of House tonight instead.

That Bingo board is hilarious.

[SuzeQuze]

The president and his speech can suck it! I'd pay a million bucks to see Fox's rerun of House tonight instead.

That Bingo board is hilarious.

Yeah, him and his speech can bite it too! :lol: I watched him the last time he was on. :eek: I am still recovering from that. Tonite, no way no how, that is what Stephanie Miller is here for, she will update me on the "important points" tomorrow morning. Ah, Steph, you goddess you.

[estranged4life]

watch the dust bunnies run an obstacle course around my house than watch a few seconds of that brainless assfart known as Shrub

[sparky]

I though I was going to open this thread and find a barf bag.

[golddustdragon]

This will be the day he starts his warmongering with Iran. And then by next year, there will be an Operation Persian Freedom or something. Like hell he cares about his rotting country.

[hayley]

I've decided I don't give a ****! House will be on after all! As long as there's good TV to be had, I can totally ignore Shrub.

http://www.livejournal.com/userpic/30239246/243989

[Nixxxed]

There once was a President
Who didnt have a clue and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who declared a war to feed his ego and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o

There once was a President
Who has royally f--ked up America and Shrub was his name-o
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
S-H-R-U-B
And his re-election was a mistake-o
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[strandinthewind]

It was as usual - utter CRAP!!!!

I LOVED how he opened with the attempt to yet again link SH to 9/11 - what an ASSS :mad:

Did anyone catch Charlie Rangel rip Sean Hannity a new one afterward. Hannity was like "I can't believe you actually think W was set to go into Iraq" Rangel was like "HAVE YOU READ THE DOWNING STREET MEMO." :laugh:

[strandinthewind]

Transcript: Bush Speech on Iraq

Tuesday, June 28, 2005



WASHINGTON — The full text of President Bush's June 28, 2005, remarks on the war in Iraq:

Thank you and good evening. I am pleased to visit Fort Bragg — "Home of the Airborne and Special Operations Forces." It is an honor to speak before you tonight. My greatest responsibility as president is to protect the American people, and that is your calling as well. I thank you for your service, your courage and your sacrifice. I thank your families, who support you in your vital work. The soldiers and families of Fort Bragg have contributed mightily to our efforts to secure our country and promote peace. Americais grateful — and so is your commander-in-chief.

The troops here and across the world are fighting a global war on terror. This war reached our shores on September 11, 2001. The terrorists who attacked us — and the terrorists we face — murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance, and despises all dissent. Their aim is to remake the Middle East in their own grim image of tyranny and oppression — by toppling governments, driving us out of the region, and exporting terror.

To achieve these aims, they have continued to kill — in Madrid, Istanbul, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Bali, and elsewhere. The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent, and with a few hard blows they can force us to retreat. They are mistaken. After September 11, I made a commitment to the American people: This Nation will not wait to be attacked again. We will take the fight to the enemy. We will defend our freedom.

Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war. Many terrorists who kill innocent men, women, and children on the streets of Baghdad are followers of the same murderous ideology that took the lives of our citizens in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. There is only one course of action against them: to defeat them abroad before they attack us at home. The commander in charge of Coalition operations in Iraq — who is also senior commander at this base — General John Vines, put it well the other day. He said: "We either deal with terrorism and this extremism abroad, or we deal with it when it comes to us."

Our mission in Iraq is clear. We are hunting down the terrorists. We are helping Iraqis build a free nation that is an ally in the war on terror. We are advancing freedom in the broader Middle East. We are removing a source of violence and instability — and laying the foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren.

The work in Iraq is difficult and dangerous. Like most Americans, I see the images of violence and bloodshed. Every picture is horrifying — and the suffering is real. Amid all this violence, I know Americans ask the question: Is the sacrifice worth it? It is worth it, and it is vital to the future security of our country. And tonight I will explain the reasons why.

Some of the violence you see in Iraq is being carried out by ruthless killers who are converging on Iraq to fight the advance of peace and freedom. Our military reports that we have killed or captured hundreds of foreign fighters in Iraq who have come from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya and other nations. They are making common cause with criminal elements, Iraqi insurgents, and remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime who want to restore the old order. They fight because they know that the survival of their hateful ideology is at stake. They know that as freedom takes root in Iraq, it will inspire millions across the Middle East to claim their liberty as well. And when the Middle East grows in democracy, prosperity, and hope, the terrorists will lose their sponsors, lose their recruits, and lose their hopes for turning that region into a base for attacks on America and our allies around the world.

Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Usama bin Laden: "This Third World War … is raging" in Iraq. "The whole world is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory or misery and humiliation."

The terrorists know that the outcome will leave them emboldened, or defeated. So, they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to take.

We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who exploded car bombs along a busy shopping street in Baghdad — including one outside a mosque. We see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who sent a suicide bomber to a teaching hospital in Mosul. And we see the nature of the enemy in terrorists who behead civilian hostages and broadcast their atrocities for the world to see.

These are savage acts of violence — but they have not brought the terrorists any closer to achieving their strategic objectives. The terrorists — both foreign and Iraqi — failed to stop the transfer of sovereignty. They failed to break our Coalition and force a mass withdrawal by our allies. They failed to incite an Iraqi civil war. They failed to prevent free elections. They failed to stop the formation of a democratic Iraqi government that represents all of Iraq's diverse population. And they failed to stop Iraqis from signing up in large numbers with the police forces and the army to defend their new democracy.

The lesson of this experience is clear: The terrorists can kill the innocent — but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. The only way our enemies can succeed is if we forget the lessons of September 11 … if we abandon the Iraqi people to men like Zarqawi … and if we yield the future of the Middle East to men like bin Laden. For the sake of our Nation's security, this will not happen on my watch.

A little over a year ago, I spoke to the Nation and described our Coalition's goal in Iraq. I said that America's mission in Iraq is to defeat an enemy and give strength to a friend — a free, representative government that is an ally in the war on terror, and a beacon of hope in a part of the world that is desperate for reform. I outlined the steps we would take to achieve this goal: We would hand authority over to a sovereign Iraqi government … we would help Iraqis hold free elections by January 2005 … we would continue helping Iraqis rebuild their nation's infrastructure and economy … we would encourage more international support for Iraq's democratic transition … and we would enable Iraqis to take increasing responsibility for their own security and stability.

In the past year, we have made significant progress:

One year ago today, we restored sovereignty to the Iraqi people.

In January 2005, more than eight million Iraqi men and women voted in elections that were free and fair — and took place on time.

We continued our efforts to help them rebuild their country. Rebuilding a country after three decades of tyranny is hard — and rebuilding while at war is even harder. Our progress has been uneven — but progress is being made. We are improving roads, and schools, and health clinics … and working to improve basic services like sanitation, electricity, and water. And together with our allies, we will help the new Iraqi government deliver a better life for its citizens.

In the past year, the international community has stepped forward with vital assistance. Some thirty nations have troops in Iraq, and many others are contributing non-military assistance. The United Nations is in Iraq to help Iraqis write a constitution and conduct their next elections. Thus far, some 40 countries and three international organizations have pledged about 34 billion dollars in assistance for Iraqi reconstruction. More than 80 countries and international organizations recently came together in Brussels to coordinate their efforts to help Iraqis provide for their security and rebuild their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordan to support Iraqi reconstruction. Whatever our differences in the past, the world understands that success in Iraq is critical to the security of all our nations. As German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said at the White House yesterday, "There can be no question a stable and democratic Iraq is in the vested interest of not just Germany, but also Europe."

Finally, we have continued our efforts to equip and train Iraqi Security Forces. Wehave made gains in both the number and quality of those forces. Today Iraq has more than 160,000 security forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions. Iraqi forces have fought bravely — helping to capture terrorists and insurgents in Najaf, Samarra, Fallujah, and Mosul. And in the past month, Iraqi forces have led a major anti-terrorist campaign in Baghdad called Operation Lightning — which has led to the capture of hundreds of suspected insurgents. Like free people everywhere, Iraqis want to be defended by their own countrymen — and we are helping Iraqis assume those duties.

The progress in the past year has been significant — and we have a clear path forward. To complete the mission, we will continue to hunt down the terrorists and insurgents. To complete the mission, we will prevent Al Qaeda and other foreign terrorists from turning Iraq into what Afghanistan was under the Taliban — a safe haven from which they could launch attacks on America and our friends. And the best way to complete the mission is to help Iraqis build a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself.

So our strategy going forward has both a military track and a political track.

The principal task of our military is to find and defeat the terrorists — and that is why we are on the offense. And as we pursue the terrorists, our military is helping to train Iraqi Security Forces so that they can defend their people and fight the enemy on their own. Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.

We have made progress — but we have a lot more work to do. Today Iraqi Security Forces are at different levels of readiness. Some are capable of taking on the terrorists and insurgents by themselves. A larger number can plan and execute anti-terrorist operations with Coalition support. The rest are forming and not yet ready to participate fully in security operations. Our task is to make the Iraqi units fully capable and independent. We are building up Iraqi Security Forces as quickly as possible, so they can assume the lead in defeating the terrorists and insurgents.

Our Coalition is devoting considerable resources and manpower to this critical task. Thousands of Coalition troops are involved in the training and equipping of Iraqi Security Forces. NATO is establishing a military academy near Baghdad to train the next generation of Iraqi military leaders — and 17 nations are contributing troops to the NATO training mission. Iraqi Army and Police are being trained by personnel from Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Today dozens of nations are working toward a common objective: an Iraq that can defend itself, defeat its enemies, and secure its freedom.

To further prepare Iraqi forces to fight the enemy on their own, we are taking three new steps:

First, we are partnering Coalition units with Iraqi units. These Coalition-Iraqi teams are conducting operations together in the field. These combined operations are giving Iraqis a chance to experience how the most professional armed forces in the world operate in combat.

Second, we are embedding Coalition "Transition Teams" inside Iraqi units. These teams are made up of Coalition officers and non-commissioned officers who live, work, and fight together with their Iraqi comrades. Under U.S. command, they are providing battlefield advice and assistance to Iraqi forces during combat operations. Between battles, they are assisting the Iraqis with important skills — such as urban combat, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance techniques.

Third, we are working with the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defense to improve their capabilities to coordinate anti-terrorist operations. We are helping them develop command and control structures. We are also providing them with civilian and military leadership training, so Iraq's new leaders can more effectively manage their forces in the fight against terror.

The new Iraqi Security Forces are proving their courage every day. More than 2,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces have given their lives in the line of duty. Thousands more have stepped forward, and are now in training to serve their nation. With each engagement, Iraqi soldiers grow more battle-hardened, and their officers grow more experienced. We have learned that Iraqis are courageous and that they need additional skills. That is why a major part of our mission is to train them so they can do the fighting and our troops can come home.

I recognize that Americans want our troops to come home as quickly as possible. So do I. Some contend that we should set a deadline for withdrawing U.S. forces. Let me explain why that would be a serious mistake. Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis — who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done. It would send the wrong message to our troops — who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy — who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long as we are needed — and not a day longer.

Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don't you send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job. Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight. And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever — when we are in fact working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave. As we determine the right force level, our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters — the sober judgment of our military leaders.

The other critical element of our strategy is to help ensure that the hopes Iraqis expressed at the polls in January are translated into a secure democracy. The Iraqi people are emerging from decades of tyranny and oppression. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Shia and Kurds were brutally oppressed — and the vast majority of Sunni Arabs were also denied their basic rights while senior regime officials enjoyed the privileges of unchecked power. The challenge facing Iraqis today is to put this past behind them, and come together to build a new Iraq that includes all its people.

They are doing that by building the institutions of a free society — a society based on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and equal justice under law. The Iraqis have held free elections and established a Transitional National Assembly. The next step is to write a good constitution that enshrines these freedoms in permanent law. The Assembly plans to expand its constitutional drafting committee to include more Sunni Arabs. Many Sunnis who opposed the January elections are now taking part in the democratic process — and that is essential to Iraq's future.

After a constitution is written, the Iraqi people will have a chance to vote on it. If approved, Iraqis will go to the polls again, to elect a new government under their new, permanent constitution. By taking these critical steps and meeting their deadlines, Iraqis will bind their multiethnic society together in a democracy that respects the will of the majority and protects minority rights.

As Iraqis grow confident that the democratic progress they are making is real and permanent, more will join the political process. And as Iraqis see that their military can protect them, more will step forward with vital intelligence to help defeat the enemies of a free Iraq. The combination of political and military reform will lay a solid foundation for a free and stable Iraq.

As Iraqis make progress toward a free society, the effects are being felt beyond Iraq's borders. Before our Coalition liberated Iraq, Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Today the leader of Libya has given up his chemical and nuclear weapons programs. Across the broader Middle East, people are claiming their freedom. In the last few months, we have witnessed elections in the Palestinian Territories and Lebanon. These elections are inspiring democratic reformers in places like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Our strategy to defend ourselves and spread freedom is working. The rise of freedom in this vital region will eliminate the conditions that feed radicalism and ideologies of murder — and make our Nation safer.

We have more work to do, and there will be tough moments that test America's resolve. We are fighting against men with blind hatred — and armed with lethal weapons — who are capable of any atrocity. They wear no uniform; they respect no laws of warfare or morality. They take innocent lives to create chaos for the cameras. They are trying to shake our will in Iraq — just as they tried to shake our will on September 11, 2001. They will fail. The terrorists do not understand America. The American people do not falter under threat — and we will not allow our future to be determined by car bombers and assassins.

America and our friends are in a conflict that demands much of us. It demands the courage of our fighting men and women … it demands the steadfastness of our allies … and it demands the perseverance of our citizens. We accept these burdens — because we know what is at stake. We fight today, because Iraq now carries the hope of freedom in a vital region of the world — and the rise of democracy will be the ultimate triumph over radicalism and terror. And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens — and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there … we will fight them across the world — and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won.

America has done difficult work before. From our desperate fight for independence, to the darkest days of a Civil War, to the hard-fought battles against tyranny in the 20th Century, there were many chances to lose our heart, our nerve, or our way. But Americans have always held firm, because we have always believed in certain truths. We know that if evil is not confronted, it gains in strength and audacity, and returns to strike us again. We know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not retreat, it is courage. And we know that this great ideal of human freedom is entrusted to us in a special way — and that the ideal of liberty is worth defending.

In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people are behind you. Next week, our Nation has an opportunity to make sure that support is felt by every soldier, sailor, airman, coast guardsman, and Marine at every outpost across the world. This Fourth of July, I ask you to find a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom — by flying the flag … sending letters to our troops in the field … or helping the military family down the street. The Department of Defense has set up a website — AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community. At this time when we celebrate our freedom, let us stand with the men and women who defend us all.

To the soldiers in this hall, and our servicemen and women across the globe: I thank you for your courage under fire and your service to our Nation. I thank our military families — the burden of war falls especially hard on you. In this war, we have lost good men and women who left our shores to defend freedom — and did not live to make the journey home. I have met with families grieving the loss of loved ones who were taken from us too soon. I have been inspired by their strength in the face of such great loss. We pray for the families. And the best way to honor the lives that have been given in this struggle is to complete the mission.

I thank those of you who have re-enlisted in an hour when your country needs you. And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces. We live in freedom because every generation has produced patriots willing to serve a cause greater than themselves. Those who serve today are taking their rightful place among the greatest generations that have worn our Nation's uniform. When the history of this period is written, the liberation of Afghanistan and the liberation of Iraq will be remembered as great turning points in the story of freedom.

After September 11, 2001, I told the American people that the road ahead would be difficult — and that we would prevail. Well, it has been difficult. And we are prevailing. Our enemies are brutal — but they are no match for the United States of America — and they are no match for the men and women of the United States military.

Thank you. And may God bless America.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160969,00.html

[estranged4life]

because I avoided the rush of other Americans who may have watched it and got sick before hand (Headache w/nausea)

[macfanken]

It was as usual - utter CRAP!!!!

I LOVED how he opened with the attempt to yet again link SH to 9/11 - what an ASSS :mad:

Did anyone catch Charlie Rangel rip Sean Hannity a new one afterward. Hannity was like "I can't believe you actually think W was set to go into Iraq" Rangel was like "HAVE YOU READ THE DOWNING STREET MEMO." :laugh:


You must be a glutton for punishment... watching FAUX coverage of a Shrub speech! :eek:

[strandinthewind]

You must be a glutton for punishment... watching FAUX coverage of a Shrub speech! :eek:


I could not watch the actual speech - I read it instead. In fact, to avoid doing so, I ate a whole Papa John's pizza - so much for my diet :laugh: - I just happened to catch Rangel when I was flipping channels afterward.

[SuzeQuze]

It was as usual - utter CRAP!!!!

I LOVED how he opened with the attempt to yet again link SH to 9/11 - what an ASSS :mad:

Did anyone catch Charlie Rangel rip Sean Hannity a new one afterward. Hannity was like "I can't believe you actually think W was set to go into Iraq" Rangel was like "HAVE YOU READ THE DOWNING STREET MEMO." :laugh:

:lol: That is priceless. Hannity is a boob.

[strandinthewind]

:lol: That is priceless. Hannity is a boob.


Do to the Hannity and Colmes website and see if it is posted - it was worth seeing despite having to look at that idiotic buttcrack.

[macfanken]

I could not watch the actual speech - I read it instead. In fact, to avoid doing so, I ate a whole Papa John's pizza - so much for my diet :laugh: - I just happened to catch Rangel when I was flipping channels afterward.

A WHOLE pizza? :eek: I've never done that before. :lol:

I can't take Hannity & Colmes... Hannity is such a pompous fool and Colmes is just a little bitch.

BTW, I got a book in the mail today called "Warrior King - The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush"... I think I'll sit down and read it tonight. :laugh:

[SuzeQuze]

A WHOLE pizza? :eek: I've never done that before. :lol:

I can't take Hannity & Colmes... Hannity is such a pompous fool and Colmes is just a little bitch.

BTW, I got a book in the mail today called "Warrior King - The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush"... I think I'll sit down and read it tonight. :laugh:

Rawk on with your bad self. I will wait for Steph in the morning to play the audio from it. She usually has his "gems". :rolleyes: Keep us posted (so to speak) about how that book is. I have House of Saud House of Bush but have not yet read it. It was lost for a while. :laugh:

I'm so glad I did not put myself thru watching shrub. I wouldn't have been able to stop at one small bowl of frozen yogurt from the sounds of things! :eek: :lol:

[strandinthewind]

A WHOLE pizza? :eek: I've never done that before. :lol:

I can't take Hannity & Colmes... Hannity is such a pompous fool and Colmes is just a little bitch.

BTW, I got a book in the mail today called "Warrior King - The Case For Impeaching George W. Bush"... I think I'll sit down and read it tonight. :laugh:


It should be an interesting read. I hope it goes into how the D's will avoid complicity in the curent Iraqi war to the point that they can bring viable Articles of Impeachment. I certainly wish they could mind you :cool:

[strandinthewind]

A WHOLE pizza? :eek: I've never done that before. :lol: . . .

I cannot eat all of it anymore - though pounds ago I could have. I just ate half of the pizza and then just the cheese and pepperoni of the other half - then I wanted to puke :laugh:

[jannieC]

I've decided I don't give a ****! House will be on after all! As long as there's good TV to be had, I can totally ignore Shrub.

http://www.livejournal.com/userpic/30239246/243989

I was worried that my beloved House wouldn't be on. It was a good night, after all.

[dissention]

I can't take Hannity & Colmes... Hannity is such a pompous fool and Colmes is just a little bitch.

Colmes needs to lay off the plastic surgery.

The only time I'll ever watch a second of Hannity and Colmes is if I'm flipping through the channels and hear Susan Estrich. That voice, my gawd. It's jarring to think that she picked up any of that accent in New England. She's such a kiss-ass that it makes me retch, but the voice is intoxicating.

[gldstwmn]

I skipped the whole thing and went and got a massage. I don't care to hear what he has to say anymore.

[strandinthewind]

. . .Susan Estrich. That voice, my gawd. It's jarring to think that she picked up any of that accent in New England. She's such a kiss-ass that it makes me retch, but the voice is intoxicating.

I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it when she chides BO and makes him blush - I think she is a hoot!

[BombaySapphire3]

I tried watching it but became too incensed when he began invoking 9/11 yet again .How can anyone still be so stupid as to buy into his Bu****? Anyway what I would be just about able to sit through would be a little or no rules debate between Smirky and my homegirl Nancy Pelosi on the same topic.

[irishgrl]

I am proud to say that I DIDNT WATCH IT! In fact, I didnt even know he was scheduled to be on until I saw this thread!

.........lame duck....... methinks his goose is cooked! :nod:

[golddustwoman77]

I had my best friend over, and we had our "OMG! W is still the d@mn President" drinks. We always do this if he is giving a speech. Then, we sit around and bitch about all the terrible things that he has done; why people voted for him the second time around, etc. :mad: After a few drinks and solving all the world's problem our way, we feel so much better. :lol: Everyone should try it.

[strandinthewind]

I am proud to say that I DIDNT WATCH IT! In fact, I didnt even know he was scheduled to be on until I saw this thread!

.........lame duck....... methinks his goose is cooked! :nod:

Yep - I mean FOX -- FOX -- spent little time on the speech and then moved to the Aruba missing person case :eek:

[DrummerDeanna]

I had to work to make sure it was on - but I totally didn't listen - I spent my time doing something much more productive:

www.notalion.blogspot.com :p

[dissention]

I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it when she chides BO and makes him blush - I think she is a hoot!

I love her, too, as much as I loathe to admit it. She's Republican-lite and the biggest kiss-ass that Faux employs, so I'm bewildered as to why I like her, but I do. I think it's that voice. A heavy mixture of North Dakota and New England, sprinkled with a slight speech impediment.

[strandinthewind]

Critics call for more troops in Iraq
Some Dems accuse Bush of linking Saddam to 9/11 attacks

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional critics of President Bush's stay-the-course commitment to the war in Iraq argued Wednesday that the administration lacks sufficient troops on the ground to mount a successful counterinsurgency.

And Democrats in particular criticized Bush for again raising the September 11 attacks as a justification for the protracted fight in Iraq after the president proclaimed anew that he plans to keep U.S. forces there as long as necessary to ensure peace.

Urging patience on an American public showing doubts about his Iraq policy, Bush mentioned the deadly 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington five times during a 28-minute address Tuesday night at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Some Democrats quickly accused him of reviving a questionable link to the war in Iraq -- a rationale that Bush originally used to help justify launching strikes against Baghdad in the spring of 2003.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi accused Bush of demonstrating a willingness "exploit the sacred ground of 9/11, knowing that there is no connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Wednesday that some of the president's critics are mischaracterizing his remarks. Bush has said there were no ties between al Qaeda and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, but McClellan said Wednesday that "September 11th changed the equation in terms of how we confront the threats that we face in the 21st century."

Bush first mentioned the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center at the beginning of his speech, delivered at an Army base that has many troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He acknowledged that Americans are disturbed by frequent deaths of U.S. troops, but tried to persuade an increasingly skeptical public to stick with the mission.

"The war reached our shores on September the 11th, 2001," Bush told a national television audience and 750 soldiers and airmen in dress uniform who mostly listened quietly as they had been asked to do.

"Iraq is the latest battlefield in this war," he continued.

Bush said he understands the public concerns about a 27-month-old war that has killed more than 1,700 Americans and 12,000 Iraqi civilians and cost $200 billion. But he argued that the sacrifice "is worth it."

"We fight today because terrorists want to attack our country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand. So we will fight them there, we will fight them across the world and we will stay in the fight until the fight is won."

He offered no shift in course in Iraq. U.S. forces in Iraq total just under about 140,000 and they constitute the bulk of the coalition fighting force.

Bush again rejected suggestions that he set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq or send in more troops. Setting a timetable would be "a serious mistake" that could demoralize Iraqis and American troops and embolden the enemy, he said.

The president also said that sending more troops would undermine the U.S. strategy of training Iraqis to be able to as quickly as possible take over the security of their country.

"Sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever," he said.

Appearing on television news shows Wednesday, some key lawmakers took issue with Bush's position on U.S. troops.

Sen. John McCain, interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show," maintained that "one of the very big mistakes early on was that he didn't have enough troops on the ground, particularly after the initial victory, and that's still the case."

Sen. John Kerry, Bush's Democratic opponent in last year's presidential election, told NBC's "Today" show that the borders of Iraq "are porous" and said "we don't have enough troops" there.

Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," disputed Bush's notion that sufficient troops are in place.

"I'm going to send him the phone numbers of the very generals and flag officers that I met on Memorial Day when I was in Iraq," the Delaware Democrat said. "There's not enough force on the ground now to mount a real counterinsurgency."

Biden argued, "The course that we are on now is not a course of success. He [Bush] has to get more folks involved. He has to stand up that [Iraqi] army more quickly."

McCain, R-Arizona, did defend Bush's call to stop terrorism abroad before it reaches the U.S. shore. Appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" program, McCain said that those spreading violence in Iraq "are the same guys who would be in New York if we don't win in Iraq."

Bush's speech marked the first anniversary of the transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to Iraq's interim government. The president cited advances in the past year, including the January elections, infrastructure improvements and training of Iraqi security forces.

Democrats also criticized Bush for not offering more specifics about how to achieve success in Iraq along with his frequent mention of the September 11 attacks.

"The president's numerous references to September 11 did not provide a way forward in Iraq," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said. "They only served to remind the American people that our most dangerous enemy, namely Osama bin Laden, is still on the loose and al Qaeda remains capable of doing this nation great harm nearly four years after it attacked America."

Bush urged Americans to remember the lessons of September 11 and protect "the future of the Middle East" from men like bin Laden. He repeatedly referred to the insurgents in Iraq as terrorists and said they were killing innocent people to try to "shake our will in Iraq, just as they tried to shake our will on September the 11th, 2001."

Beyond their criticism, Some Democrats said they thought Bush strengthened his credibility. "I think he told the American people why it's important," said Biden.

Said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut: "The president needs to do more of what he did last evening. This is a beginning."

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/06/29/bush.speech.ap/index.html

[strandinthewind]

and another:

Bush's Speech Ripples Through Congress

Wednesday, June 29, 2005



WASHINGTON — A day after President Bush went before the nation reinforcing his determination to stay the course in Iraq, lawmakers split along party lines in assessing whether Bush was effective.

"Our progress has been uneven — but progress is being made," Bush told a television audience as well as troops in the hall at Ft. Bragg. N.C., home to the the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division (search).

"We have more work to do, and there will be tough moments that test America's resolve. We are fighting against men with blind hatred — and armed with lethal weapons — who are capable of any atrocity ... They are trying to shake our will in Iraq — just as they tried to shake our will on September 11, 2001. They will fail," he said.

Democrats faulted Bush and said he wasn't being honest with the American people.

"The president has to understand when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you had to do is stop digging," Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., told FOX News.

But Republicans said Bush did a good job of stating what was at stake in Iraq and they said Bush was right in not laying out deadlines for when U.S. troops would come home.

"That timetable will be dicated by events on the ground. I think that timetable will succeed," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who acknowledged that the work ahead "will be long, hard and tough."

Congress on Wednesday will look further into the Iraq question with several hearings and events.

— Sen. John Warner (search), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is holding a morning hearing to review the reappointment of Peter Pace to the grade of general and to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to replace Gen. Richard Myers.

— Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the House International Relations Subcommittee (search) on the Middle East and Central Asia, is having an afternoon briefing with Richard Jones, the senior adviser to the secretary and coordinator for Iraq, on that country's transition to democracy.

— Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., vice-chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., of the Senate Armed Services Committee (search), are set to discuss the situation in Iraq as well as criticize the administration for its expected shortfall in the Veterans Affairs budget for this fiscal year.

Warner gave high marks to Bush for his speech Tuesday night and said he would use his hearing to give a chance to send a warning to lawmakers and others who would speak disparagingly about the effort in Iraq.

"We need to knock off this business of quagmires" and saying who is a patriot and who is not, said Warner, R-Va., suggesting that the troops on the ground in Iraq are hearing filtered news that would suggest to them that they are not getting the support they need from some back home.

"I think we're going to take it very seriously to watch our rhethoric, those of us in Congress, and also members of the administration in their rhetoric to make certain what we say can not be misconstrued [or] in any way shows a lack of support," Warner said.

In his nightime address, Bush laid out an extensive check list of accomplishments in Iraq as well as goals to achieve.

Bush argued that Iraq is the latest battlefield in the War on Terror and cited comments made by Usama bin Laden that the war will be fought and won or lost in Iraq.

"Among the terrorists, there is no debate," Bush said. "Hear the words of Usama bin Laden: 'This Third World War … is raging' in Iraq. 'The whole world is watching this war.' He says it will end in 'victory and glory or misery and humiliation,'" Bush said.

The president's remarks came after public opinion have shown lagging support for the mission in Iraq and a fatigue from news of daily terror attacks aimed at the Iraqi people and coalition troops.

A FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll taken earlier this month found that Iraq was by far the issue Americans considered the most important for the federal government to address. In the poll, 25 percent cited Iraq and Saddam Hussein as the top issue; the No. 2 issue was the economy with 13 percent listing it as the most important.

In the poll, Bush had the approval of 48 percent of Americans while 43 percent disapproved of his job performance.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized Bush for not outlining benchmarks and timetables to be reached to measure progress in Iraq, and she accused the president of trying to exploit the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks for political gain.

"The president's frequent references to the terrorist attacks of September 11 show the weakness of his arguments. He is willing to exploit the sacred ground of 9/11, knowing that there is no connection between 9/11 and the war in Iraq," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"Iraq is now what it was not when the war began — a magnet for terrorism — because the president invaded Iraq with no idea of what it would take to secure the country after Baghdad fell. The insurgency took root in the unstable conditions that have now existed in substantial parts of Iraq for far too long," she said.

"In his attempt to mitigate growing concern about his disastrous Iraq policy, the president has failed to address the most significant problems surrounding this ill-conceived, poorly planned and falsely-justified war," added Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., in a written statement.

Former presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark (search) took a more measured approach in his criticism, saying on the strategic level, the president recited some points that needed to be said but Bush left several questions unresolved.

"He didn't really explain why car bombings have gone up despite our effective operations or why the insurgents are coming in increasing numbers or why the insurgency is still the same strength. These are all the elements that create doubt and uncertainty in the minds of the American public," Clark said.

"I said this was an elective war ... Saddam wasn't a part of 9/11, Saddam didn't have WMD to threaten America, but now that we're there, we have to succeed," Clark said, adding that the war in Iraq is a great recruiting tool for terrorists who want to suggest America is the evil invader.

Responding to calls to bring the troops home, Bush said he recognized that Americans want them to return as soon as possible, but that a premature withdrawal will only invigorate terrorists and demoralize Iraqis.

"Setting an artificial timetable would send the wrong message to the Iraqis — who need to know that America will not leave before the job is done. It would send the wrong message to our troops — who need to know that we are serious about completing the mission they are risking their lives to achieve. And it would send the wrong message to the enemy — who would know that all they have to do is to wait us out. We will stay in Iraq as long as we are needed — and not a day longer," he said.

FOX News' Sharon Kehnemui Liss contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,161022,00.html

[irishgrl]

I thot this was interesting:
Beyond their criticism, Some Democrats said they thought Bush strengthened his credibility. "I think he told the American people why it's important," said Biden.

Said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Connecticut: "The president needs to do more of what he did last evening. This is a beginning."

So, does anyone else think the Bumbler strengthened his credibility? And for a DEM to say it too! who'd a thunk it? :shrug:

[dissention]

who'd a thunk it? :shrug:

Me. :wavey:

The Democrats are spineless wimps.

[The Tower]

I skipped the whole thing and went and got a massage. I don't care to hear what he has to say anymore.
I won't listen anymore either, honey.

I was listening to Morning Edition on the way into work this morning and every ****ing piece was related to some aspect of Idiot's speech. I was screaming at the radio, "Report on something else, goddammit!"

I switched to listening to Michelle Shocked's Arkansas Traveler and I felt much better....

[gldstwmn]

I won't listen anymore either, honey.

I was listening to Morning Edition on the way into work this morning and every ****ing piece was related to some aspect of Idiot's speech. I was screaming at the radio, "Report on something else, goddammit!"

I switched to listening to Michelle Shocked's Arkansas Traveler and I felt much better....

Good for you. :nod: