In a response just issued by OpTruth.org, “the nation’s first and largest organization for Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” their Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff expressed disappointment in George W. Bush’s just-completed Veterans’ Day speech to troops in Pennsylvania.
“Those of us who fought in Iraq deserve to know why we became Veterans in the first place,” Reickhoff said in a statement that went on to call for a “real investigation into prewar intelligence.”
In a speech staged in front of military gear to an audience of enlisted men and women at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania, Bush took the opportunity to take a few swipes at his political opposition. “Some Democrats and anti-war critics are now claiming we manipulated the intelligence and mislead the American people about why we went to war,” Bush said before taking the opportunity to manipulate those listening with the Administration’s latest misleading talking point to deflect criticism of their use of prewar intelligence.
As reported by AP…
“More than 100 Democrats in the House and the Senate who had access to the same intelligence voted to support removing Saddam Hussein from power,” Bush went on to say. Leaving out the nuance that the intelligence those Democrats were allowed to see was gathered and selected by the Administration’s own intelligence agencies. He further failed to mention that the vote by Congress to give Bush the power to wage war, was based on promises to exhaust all diplomatic options before doing so.
Recent investigations into prewar intelligence, indeed, has not shown that the Administration applied pressure to intelligence agencies. However, the investigations that led to those reports specifically avoided examining the Administration’s use (and/or misuse) of the intelligence available to them. The Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KA) had promised to look into those matters two years ago but, to date, have failed to do so. That failure resulted last week in Senate Minority Leader Harry Ried’s (D-NV) invoking of Senate Rule 21 to force the Senate into a closed session in order to pressure the committee to deliver their promised investigation.
Rieckhoff, who gave up his job on Wall Street after 9/11 to join the active army in the “War on Terror,” expressed disappointment at Bush’s failure in his speech to support veterans by calling for a thorough investigation into the way intelligence was used to sell Congress and the American people on the war that they are now stuck fighting. “It’s unfortunate,” he said, “that the President doesn’t think he owes that to the people who have been unwavering in their bravery while carrying out his plans.”
The Iraq War veteran, who led troops into Baghdad at the start of the war, is dismayed at Bush’s lack of support for those who still fight the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. “On Veterans’ Day, the President spoke a lot about the reasons for the war in Iraq, but very little about how he plans to take care of the people fighting that war, and what the future holds for them.”
Just like the energizer bunny…..StiiiiiiiLL LYIN’.
I think it’s now pathological and no longer slective for this man.
Why didn’t he wear his cowboy hat for this poto-op. Maybe some camo’s, boots, and a sign behind him
"MISSION FAILED"
George, put down the bottle and step away from the mic. Ok, someone call the Waaaaambulance, he’s unraveling!
Bush is either history’s biggest liar or its biggest fool. Maybe he’s both.
The Downing Street minutes were compiled without political bias. They state clearly that the United States and Britain manipulated (cooked) intelligence to suit its intention of invading Iraq. The question of whether anyone tried to influence the process of gathering of the intelligence is beside the point; what matters, as Mr. Rieckhoff understands perfectly well, is what was done with it after it was gathered.
Bush also said terrorists now see Iraq as the central focus of their activity. True enough, W….but it wasn’t that way until you invaded the place. It’s amazing you’d even bring up terrorists in the same breath with Iraq.
Another Rovian sleight of hand speech, delivered to a bunch of clowns who looked like an oil painting until they were instructed to applaud. Pathetic.
Whats-his-name already admitted Iraq is about OIL – his supporters want it and are stopping at nothing to get it!!! Oil profits are already in the billions per qtr! They spared no expense rigging 2004 and probably will spare no expense in 2006 and 08. If gw has his way, our children in elementary school will die in Iraq. We need to contact all the congressmen/women to put an end to this loser madman. IMPEACH!!!!! Let’s give him something to really worry about – something that money can’t buy or solve!
Actually, ya gotta give him some credit. For a man who can barely manage to manifest in three demsions, standing at a podium and pursing his lips is quite an accomplishment.
Shrub is still not reading or watching television, wonder if he will learn to think outside his "loyal" bubble keepers.
So, we have had elections in Iraqi and we are still there because why?????????
bush should die!
Reading a blog that claims the public equate stubborness with strength in Bush…..
well, at the least Bush needs to talk with the following groups who have actually BEEN to war.
Iraqi Vets Against the War
National Coalition for Homeless Iraqi Vets
Vets For Peace
Vietnam Vets Against the War
How can someone base a decision without hearing all viewpoints?
Thanks Brad for pointing out this shameful, totally partisan and wicked speech by bushitler today — more catapulting of propaganda.
Another quote from the AP article you referenced:
"This administration misled a nation into war by cherry-picking intelligence and stretching the truth beyond recognition," Kerry said.
The ‘CONs House of Cards is falling apart.
Like Otter told Flounder in Animal House, "You F*cked up, you trusted us."
Thanks to all the vets
The day will come when no one will believe a word that spews out of his mouth. He has created far more terrorism than ever existed before 9/11.
The day will come when no one will believe a word that spews out of his mouth. He has created far more terrorism than ever existed before 9/11.
Oops! Sorry 🙂
"You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin’ to high Heaven!"
Jo #3 Happy Vets Day to you.
Loved your post. LOL
The Senate investigation that found no evidence of administration pressure on the intelligence gathering process reminds me of the man in Paul Simon’s song who "hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest".
They never found the evidence because they knew where it was and they made a point of not looking there.
We’ve been so indundated with lies, it’s hard to know where they began. Here’s a hint, from Eric Margolis:
CIA DID NOT FAIL – THE U.S. WAS DECEIVED INTO THE IRAQ WAR
I think you should read the whole column.
Check this out
The Empire Strikes Back
The Bush administration, angered by Americans’ growing realization that they have been mightily conned, is lashing out. Last night Karl Rove told an approving conservative audience of Federalist Society lawyers that four Democratic senators — Charles Schumer of New York, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Patrick Leahy of Vermont — are causing no end of problems by (imagine the temerity!) opposing Bush’s judicial nominations.
And today Bush accused war critics of "rewriting history,"* claiming those who now say he twisted intelligence to justify his Iraq aggression once also believed that Saddam had WMDs. And, of course, they were "sending the wrong signal to our troops."
No mention was made of the 2,059 troops who died in this needless, purposeless war, as they no longer receive any signals.
… * Here’s a real example of trying to rewrite history, courtesy of last night’s "Countdown" on MSNBC.
Our fourth story on the COUNTDOWN, the White House calls “Congressional Quarterly” magazine and Federal News Service, urging them to change their transcripts of a Scott McClellan press briefing, insisting they change the phrase “That’s accurate” into the phrase “I don’t think that’s accurate.”
Americans who are both paying attention and who are survivors of having to read George Orwell in high school might be wondering, rewriting history here? Isn’t this the way “1984” started? Double-plus ungood.
The debate goes back to a week ago, Monday, October 31. Our own David Gregory asked Mr. McClellan about the fact of some kind of White House involvement, legal or illegal, in the dissemination of Valerie Plame’s name. What do you think McClellan says in reply? (**MORE** at LINK above)
I feel I should mention a postsite with a good archive collection growing of the whole Plame,Libby, Fitzgerald saga. It’s collected/reprinted by ‘Chiron’ and contains mention of many Blog/pod sites(RawStory etc) with obscure quotes from involved people who say Bush is under sealed indictment,Gonzales,also indicted refused to accept them earning another for obstruction making 28 in all(pre Libby) as Fitz continues. I know,sounds too good..Google "Overgrow,Edge Forums",2nd down was "Edge Forums",go there +scroll down to "smokers lounge" then "Political Debate"+scroll down to the post "Chicago WhistleBlower Claims GrandJury Indicted Bush And Others For Perjury". It’s great stuff/links etc and I recommend comments pages around 11-12 on(pre-Libby)to current.Cheers to the Vets.
George Bush-Bushco could have used this Veterans Day Speech as a call to ALL Americans to sacrifice for this Noble Cause.
Instead he used it as a political tool.
My son Zach (National Guard) is going to Irag this winter.
What is the Noble Cause, George? You fucker!
OK I feel better now.
OK folks, anyone out there calling the conservative talk shows (with a southern accent) and shoving this down their throats? They the red-state listeners) still believe we "are trying to rewrite history, had the same intelligence" blah, blah, blah, until we call in. Or should we just be happy we are kicking their butts without doing this?
I will call Lars Larson, my local wingnut…
I turned my tv on this morning just in time to hear bush start his speech (ugh) and then flipped over to nbc to see if the "today" show was carrying it as well. They weren’t. They were doing a piece on young guys back from iraq, who were missing legs, arms, in some cases all four limbs, and how they were coping. What an ironic moment. I kept flipping channels back and forth and sometimes the words "support our troops" were coming out of his lying mouth, interspersed on "today" with video of these brave young men trying to learn how to swim again without arms and legs. What about finally getting some protective armor over there george? support our troops…what a joke.
Snippy needs to take another refresher course on ethics. The first one did not take.
Also, Puffy McMoonface told the truth for once ("That’s accurate."). Then, the BCFOL changed it to "I don’t think that’s accurate". Ethics? Integrity? No, just more lies.
Leave it to the Chicken Hawks to trash the war hero on Veteran’s Day. They have no shame. What say you trolls?
Since this isn’t totally OT..
Chalibi is making it look like Shrubby some how has control over the "democracy in Iraq".. odd, isn’t it?
Let’s see.. we go there, kill lots of women and children (and then try to blame it on ‘insurgents’).. piss away thousands of years of history, but protect the oil related assets (sorry, I’d rather have a 6,000 year old ern than the records of oil sales), and all in the name of "bringing democracy to the middle east".. yet, we won’t let they have their democracy (well, not without meddling fingers) in context of their Constitution, now we’re supposed to RIG THEIR ELECTION for Chalibi? the guy that brought us LIES to get us in Iraq in the first place?
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You know, folks — even if we ignore the obvious fact that Bushco. lied and manipulated America into an illegal war, there is something worse that you have to consider now.
It is the fact that Bushco. has given the U.S. a global identity of a rogue, undemocratic state. The U.S. is now, significantly moreso, regarded as — not a defender of freedom — but as a country to be feared. Noone…NOONE with a shred of decency on this planet (outside of America) regards the U.S. as a beacon for truth and justice anymore. Instead, the U.S. is now lead by a man that is AS EVIL as Saddam himself. It is lead by a man that condones torture. It is lead by a man that condones the use of chemical weapons that burns the flesh off babies in a mother’s arms. You CANNOT get more evil than that!!! You CANNOT get more dispicable than that!
It will take at least a generation (perhaps multiple generations) before this sullied image of America is cleaned up to the point where people respect this nation once again.
George W. Bush, in 5 years, has assassinated what trust people around the world had in America — and that’s not even mentioning the enemies of your state.
The questions that should be on Americans minds now are:
1. How do I help remove this monster (and his administration) from office in the quickest way possible?
2. How does America apologize to the world in the most meaningful way?
3. How does America prevent this from happening again? (This is the most important question, IMO.)
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This selected idiot is a pathological mess who is the most angry person I’ve ever seen. I think it’s because of the in vitro for the kids and he can’t stand the idea of putting out anything for them or anybody else. (What father goes and plays golf while his daughter is going under the knife?)
Sorry that is what we are stuck with until we can get rid of him…
#27 – Stop_George telling it like it is.
Rather than honoring Veterans on Veteran’s Day, Bush chose to fly off to PA to give a chest-thumping political speech to the honorable men and women he deceived into fighting his dirty war. He should have been at Arlington and given his speech from the Oval Office. He needs to talk to ALL Americans. He is a disgrace to this Country and should be impeached. Did he even mention Afghanistan? Cheney, left behind to present the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, was even more pathetic — he obviously didn’t want to be there and didn’t bother hiding it. He looked put-out, bored and resentful. Pathetic. Perhaps it was too much shame for one man in one day. The American people support the troops and pray for their safe return. Bush just keeps on lying. The troops are not deceived. They are doing what they are ordered to do. Godspeed brave soldiers.
The most important consideration now is how did this happen in America. What is wrong with our system of government that it has allowed these type of people to gain such control. It seems to me a failure at all levels within our system. Perhaps we need a mechanism to RECALL a out of control president.
IMPEACH!! Every congressman/woman needs to be bombarded with demands for impeachment, no matter what party they are. This goes beyond party – we have a lunatic drunk at the helm of this ship. When I pass a school yard and children are playing outside, the 8-10 yr olds may be entering the final 10 years of their lives if this lunatic has his way. That is so heartbreaking. Now there is talk of Syria. While I don’t agree with their policies, we are on their turf – same for Iraq.
Bill O’Reilly says we should let al-Qaida in to bomb San Francisco because americans there voted on their issues like they wanted to? (link here).
Since they voted contra to how Bill would vote, we should let al-Qaida in to blow up an american city?
And Bush meanwhile is saying those who doubt his version of history are harming army morale?
"GO al-Qaida" says the bush supporter, "bush lied about the war" say the anti bush folk, and who gets praised and who gets trashed?
What I saw in that speech with a man on the extreme defensive who is on the run. The majority of the American people know he is lying, finally it’s broken through, and even the media now are talking about his lies – and they are even using this term – though more often than not they still say "misled". Puffy McMoonface is NOT getting the free pass at the press conferences now, and is squirming like a worm on a hook as they pepper him with real questions for a change. He’s slipping and it’s showing. Fitzgerald was/is instrumental in breaking the levee of lies and deception that is killing Americans and Iraqis. We owe him a debt of gratitude. He’s not done yet, he may end up being instrumental in saving our country from these corrupt monsters. His actions have allowed the media to finally start asking REAL questions, even Tweety is visibly angry about the Plame issue, and about the deceptions.
What Bush said on Veteran’s Day was insulting and despicable, and I daresay except for the 19% of the idiots who still approve of Cheney, no one was fooled, and many of us were even MORE turned off by his attitude of continuing to lie. This reminds me of a petulant 4 year old who continues to lie even when you show him that he’s lying. Bush cannot admit a mistake, and instead blames others for believing him. ??? What a nutjob. An Assclown. A deviant, dry(?)-drunk. 57% of the American people believe that Bush is a liar. Pretty sad, but at least the American people are wising up and catching up with the rest of the world.
Unfortunately though, while American is wising up, we are also in danger now because Bush is angry and feeling cornered. We need to be prepared for any possibility of his retaliation against his critics.
In his speech he accused those who criticized his policies of "undermining the war effort", which is the same thing as saying , "You are either with us or against us, you are either evil or you are good" (which was always a strange freudian slip if you ask me – one of those inadvertent utterances of truth). When people who have inflexible brains like Bush are cornered they are at their most dangerous. Not that we should stop, of course, we just need to watch out. And watch his minions spout talking points endlessly "The Congress had access to the same intelligence" blah, blah
We are in for some rough times…
I’ve noticed that George has latched on to one pronouncement that he has been making in all of his speeches lately. He first used it (or I first heard him use it) about a month ago, and I’ve heard him use the identical sentence two times since then (most recently, yesterday in his Veterans’ Day address):
"Evil men, obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience, must be taken very seriously — and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply." —
George W. Bush (Address to National Endowment for Democracy 10/6/05)
More and more, I’ve come to realize that his words can often be construed as condemning Dubya himself.
burning bush
and president georgie kept lyin
and thousands of people kept dyin
george he kept mentioning christ
while his rich pals continued their heist
georgie’s good ol boy rich friends
falsly justifying their ends
and our troops and innocents dyin
but they jus keep lyin and lyin
the love that they have is for oil
so they bring people’s blood to a boil
they scared many people to death
feeling righteous until their last breath
they love to say "i love the lord"
but the Prince of Peace must be abhorred
at the killing they do in his name
just to win at their world power game
Think on this quote from Bush’s Veterans Day speech:
"The stakes in the global war on terror are too high and the national interest is too important for politicians to throw out false charges."
Truer words were never spoken.
The treasonous lies must be investigated.
We need a Truth Commission — that cannot be silenced by parlimentary rules by those opposed to it in Congress.
Ironically, the "loyal-to-each-other" neonuts are beginning to snipe at each other now that their individual sacred oxes are being gored.
In reality they’re loyal to no one when their own little pee pees get caught in a vice.
I expect Libby to eventually flip on the dickster. Bush and Cheney have to know that promising "pardons for all" will seal their fate in history.
But, at this point, what more does fate have to offer them?
There was a time I would have swore I’d take pleasure in all this, but I find that’s now tragically impossible. There are too many souls crying out from the grave.
I used to believe in "W" until recently. Now I found from all media sources that he is a LIAR, PROMISE BREAKER, DISHONEST, SPITEFUL, STUBBORN, UNSCRUPULOUS, MEDIA SUPPRESSOR, and about everything else that’s not good for America. After reflecting back, I find that these were exactly the same courses that Hitler took in his rise to power. Funny, there’s still some of old timers out there that still remember vividly. The sad part is that he’s also following Hitler’s footsteps into a downward spiral, taking his country with him. Is Hitler his real role model, or has the ANTI CHRIST rearing his ugly head?
A WW 11 Vet
I am so ashamed that I wasted my vote on george war bush. What was I thinking? Why did I let my right wing extremist, neo-conservative, neo-evangelical thinking get in the way of exercising sound personal judgment? Growing up, I was led to believe that the republican party was a grass roots party of the people & for the people. In retrospect, it is clear that the last 3 presidents produced by the republican party were nothing more then the rich man’s rich man hiding under the disguise of the overly misused term, “conservative”. The economic dark ages of reagonomics fleeced the middle and lower classes of this county simply to benefit the rich and wealthy. George warmonger bush has quietly shifted this country back to those economic dark ages. Bush inherited a strong economy and squandered that real quick. And even though 9 -11 did happen, none of bush’s reckless decisions are in any way justified by that day in history. It is clear that he never had any real salient foreign & domestic policies when he became president in 2000. Now we have 4 more years of neoconservative republican lies and a growing body count overseas. When are people going to wake up to the truth that neoconservative political philosophy does not work for anyone but the rich and wealthy at the top? When are people in the USA going to wake up to the fact that neoconservative republican political philosophy does not even cross paths with reality?
Anyone who believes george war bush’s lies about promoting democracy in these middle eastern Islamic states is living in serious denial of reality. Those who believe bush’s lies are simply easy pickins and victims of logical fallacies. Historians and political scholars realize that to impose such changes on another country takes decades and that is only if it seriously adopted. Also, the very definition of democracy is not something that the United States has any claim of ownership. Even some communist states think that what they have is democracy. If we ever actually do get out of Iraq, nothing will have changed and nothing will have been gained. The American people have never been given a specific objective in Iraq or a clear definition of exactly what victory in Iraq is from the president. Invading Iraq never had anything to do with, WMD, freeing the Iraqi people or making Americans safer and secure. Statements about WMD, Freeing Iraq or Making America Safer are nothing more then a marketing spin used to hide the ugly truth and make the lies palatable to the American public and justifiable to the red necks who voted for him. Bush likes to make statements such as “It’s worth the price” but he never says just what exactly “it” is. If he really believes that, then he should put his money where his mouth is and send his little party animals to go fight in Iraq. The republican party claims to be for smaller less wasteful government but the current administration is responsible for the waste of more money, resources and human lives then any past democrat presidency. I have a hard time sleeping at night knowing that the blood of Americans and innocent civilians is on my hands and the hands of those who voted for george warmonger bush. The real legacy of the bush cabinet is going to be one characterized by lots of wrongful deaths, lots of money and resources wasted, unnecessary tax increases for our children and grandchildren and the unnecessary destruction of various social programs that good decent people count on.
Thanks to bush and his power hungry cabinet who all want to control congress, the senate & the supreme court, the USA is now a third world country with a disappearing middle class. Neoconservative agenda is to make the USA just like Mexico with the top 2% all rich and the rest of us poor. Now that I know that invading Iraq was all about oil and nothing more, all the senseless deaths of Americans and Iraqi civilians takes on a whole new meaning. It would appear that even the constitution means nothing to bush and his cronies. It has been reduced to something to be twisted and manipulated by neoconservative agenda to make the rich richer and screw over the rest of us. Now that the USA owes all these hundreds of millions of dollars to countries like China, Germany, Russia & Japan, I wonder which language I need to learn for the day when these countries come to collect…
😛