Posted on 05/21/2009 12:29:11 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Obama plays the fear card and the blame game. Cheney stands up as the statesman who succeeded in keeping America safe.Which do you want to believe?
President Obama delivered a hastily scheduled speech on national security this morning at the exact time that former Vice President Cheney had long planned a similar address. Obama wrapped himself in the aura of the National Archives standing in front of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and delivered yet another tiresome blame America, blame Bush justification for his own weakness.
For now, I’ll cite just these few paragraphs from Obama’s speech:
OBAMA: After 9/11, we knew that we had entered a new era - that enemies who did not abide by any law of war would present new challenges to our application of the law; that our government would need new tools to protect the American people, and that these tools would have to allow us to prevent attacks instead of simply prosecuting those who try to carry them out.
Unfortunately, faced with an uncertain threat, our government made a series of hasty decisions. And I believe that those decisions were motivated by a sincere desire to protect the American people. But I also believe that - too often - our government made decisions based upon fear rather than foresight, and all too often trimmed facts and evidence to fit ideological predispositions. Instead of strategically applying our power and our principles, we too often set those principles aside as luxuries that we could no longer afford. And in this season of fear, too many of us - Democrats and Republicans; politicians, journalists and citizens - fell silent.
In other words, we went off course. And this is not my assessment alone. It was an assessment that was shared by the American people, who nominated candidates for President from both major parties who, despite our many differences, called for a new approach - one that rejected torture, and recognized the imperative of closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay.
What absolute rubbish! Did the American people vote to release terrorists into the United States? Did we vote to close Guantanamo? Did we vote so that our elected officials, who were too busy to read the bills they were voting on, could instead spend thousands of hours wailing about the waterboarding of JUST THREE TERRORISTS?
I could go on and on, but instead I’ll let former Vice President Cheney respond by posting his remarks in their entirety. Emphasis on particular sections added by me:
As prepared for delivery
Vice President Cheney
Remarks at the American Enterprise Institute
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Cheney Reflects on Legacy, Defends Interrogation Policy ( Aired: January 14, 2009 Transcript)
Help for today to find clips on CNN...there are three that I saw.
Are we witnessing a 2012 preview?
Man, I wish Dick was 10 years younger.
Cheney’s speech was the most coherent, reasonable, and compelling speech on National Security I’ve heard from a conservative since Obama has been in office. Which is pretty pathetic.
Where’s George W. Bush?
If that were so it would be pathetic. To the extent you — or most anybody — can say it is indeed pathetic. But good speeches have been made, yet they go unheard, unreported by the media, even a Fox.
Thank G-d, today, TWO great speeches on national security, and one major sadsack speech to compare them to. Cheney made the one, Bibi the other. Obama’s was the sadsack depressive drama queen of a speech.
Thankfully THESE two speeches are reported.
Me too....he is still younger than me...by a bit.
George is doing the traditional role for Presidents....keeping quiet./...Carter isn’t that smart!
“And in this season of fear, too many of us - Democrats and Republicans; politicians, journalists and citizens - fell silent.”
Nod to Pelosi and an excuse and recrimination.
More of the I WON so I must be right.
Why should Bush lower himself to answer this punk ???
Besides Cheney is the one the Media has been trying to Demonize!
I love Cheney!
reasoning sounds reasonable to me.
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