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Obama takes swipe at Bush in Memorial Day message
The Washington Examiner ^ | May 23, 2009 | Chris Stirewalt

Posted on 05/23/2009 12:41:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

In his weekly radio address, President Obama took time to commend American fighting forces and to explain how his defense, veterans and even economic programs (which he continues to call the "New Foundation") are part of serving the armed forces.

It might have been superior for the president to have offered only a patriotic message and a word of thanks and remembrance for the fallen soldiers, but that's debatable.

What seems wholly out of place, though, is the president's swipe at his predecessor, George W. Bush, and others:

"Our fighting men and women – and the military families who love them – embody what is best in America. And we have a responsibility to serve all of them as well as they serve all of us.

And yet, all too often in recent years and decades, we, as a nation, have failed to live up to that responsibility. We have failed to give them the support they need or pay them the respect they deserve. That is a betrayal of the sacred trust that America has with all who wear – and all who have worn – the proud uniform of our country."

That is the president's lead in to talking about his military requisitioning plans, veterans' funding and his economic program. It's how Obama often sets things up -- create a straw man opponent to his policies and then attack.

It gets little notice, but even to this day Bush makes calls on wounded veterans at military hospitals, corresponds with families of fallen servicemembers and gives his own money to veterans charities. In office, Bush hugely increased funding for veterans programs and worked relentlessly to improve the lot of ordinary troops.

Bush gets hit pretty hard for the shabby state of things at Walter Reed Hospital that was exposed during his term, but the servicemebers I've talked to know that Bush loves them and takes their well being seriously.

You may feel that Bush is undeserving of that respect because he initiated the Iraq war, but in terms of his respect for and treatment of the men and women in uniform, he is sincere.

President Obama may come to have a similar rapport with the military, but he won't help that by trying to advance his agenda as an alternative to the mistakes made "in recent years."

The Memorial Day weekend message should have been an easy opportunity for the president to talk about the sacrifices and heroism of the current members of the military and how it is part of a 235-year tradition of gallantry and sacrifice. Someone in the White House press office needs to get off the political grind.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: asshole; bho44; bush; gagdadbob; iraq; memorialday; obama; onecosmos; pos; presidentgeorgewbush; rudedems; usurper; veterans; walterreed; wot
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The Kenyan doesn’t get it and never will. He has no concept of what it is to be a veteran, let alone be a patriotic American. To him, America is a country to be scorned and destroyed so it can be remade in the image of Karl Marx.


41 posted on 05/23/2009 2:04:56 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Democrats spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The most disgusting, vile, God-less ‘person’ to ever disgrace the office. What rot......
42 posted on 05/23/2009 2:11:26 PM PDT by 50cal Smokepole (Effective gun control involves effective recoil management)
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To: Carley

No, it was not President Bush that proposed that. The proposal originated in the OSD, the same guy that’t there under Obama...Need I say Robert Gates...or William, as Obama called him the other day.

Similar proposals originate every year, because of the career bureaucrats in OSD.


43 posted on 05/23/2009 2:22:25 PM PDT by damper99
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To: bereanway

I believe co-pays for TRICARE, coverage for soldier’s families are going up too...


44 posted on 05/23/2009 2:30:11 PM PDT by tina07 (In loving memory of my father,WWII Vet. CBI 10/16/42-12/17/45, d. 11/1/85 -Happy B'day Daddy 2/20/23)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Dear old Dad always said, “Class will tell.”
This “community organizer” Zero is a real scumbag. Whew.


45 posted on 05/23/2009 2:31:59 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: La Enchiladita
Re Walter Reed: the so-called “controversy” involved ONE outbuilding at WRMC, not the hospital itself, the whole thing concocted by some WaPo beeyotch.

The building in question is a former motel across Georgia Ave(a very busy street in DC)being used to house military while they waited for their next destination...in or out of the military, further treatment, etc. Why, oh why, could Pres. Bush not have spoken out about the exact problem instead of letting the distorted exaggeration of the WaPo allow it to be "common knowledge" that the Bush administration did not treat wounded warriors well and that Walter Reed Army Hospital was a mess.

46 posted on 05/23/2009 2:37:40 PM PDT by Freee-dame
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To: damper99

I know it wasn’t President Bush who wanted our wounded warriors to pay for their own health insurance.

I was being sarcastic.

My hatred for O goes deep. Very deep.


47 posted on 05/23/2009 2:38:30 PM PDT by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: Just A Nobody

Who knew I needed the sarcasm tag here on FR.

Sheesh...........


48 posted on 05/23/2009 2:39:06 PM PDT by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Goodness. Of course it wasn’t President Bush!!!!

FGS


49 posted on 05/23/2009 2:39:39 PM PDT by Carley (OBAMA IS A MALEVOLENT FORCE IN THE WORLD)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

You sorry excuse for a Commander in Chief.....you left out the word “Democrats” who do as you described concerning our Troops and their support by our Citizens.

Did you NOT just meet with “Rolling Thunder” representatives ? Quietly and un-announced, slinking around the Whitehouse trying not to look Patriotic are you ? Put a friggin flag on your Lapel, will ya ?

You, (CIA lied to me) Pelosi, (War is Lost) Reid, are Living examples of that which you describe.


50 posted on 05/23/2009 3:08:06 PM PDT by 4Speed
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
When you've spent one day wearing that uniform you use as a stage prop, Licorice Stick, then you've earned the right to take a swipe at Dubya, or the rest of us who had the cojones you never grew, and wore it freely. As it is, you're nothing more than multi-culti seditionist rabble who is unfit to breathe our air, much less deserve our respect. FUBO!!!!!


51 posted on 05/23/2009 4:02:16 PM PDT by Viking2002 (This tagline for rent.)
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To: tina07

“”I AM LIVID!!””

Livid is what everyone (sensible) will be when they read the GOPUSA release today of MEMORIAL DAY SHOCKER - about the Pentagon ordering the burning of Bibles of our military men/women in Afghanistan. Too offensive in a muslim country, of course. I simply cannot go the remainder of this administration with a pain in my stomach.


52 posted on 05/23/2009 4:14:24 PM PDT by Thank You Rush
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Just another campaign speech for his Oneness.


53 posted on 05/23/2009 4:23:08 PM PDT by TADSLOS (Powell/Whorealdo 2012- The New GOP Dream Ticket)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

And yet he wants all of us to believe that he is in contact with Pres Bush? ZERO is nothing but an empty suit with arrogance and laziness all rolled into one.

Those of us who are standing with Dick Cheney can spot a fraud a mile away and ZERO is right in the center of the target for being a total fraud with no experience except the Saul Alinsky way of doing things with his community organizer. Working a couple of hours a day is flat out lazy and makes you wonder what is in the stack of papers he doesn’t feel the need to look at nightly while he plans his next attack on the Bush Administration.

Guess the Buck Stops here will never pertain to ZERO who personifies a scumbag leftist.


54 posted on 05/23/2009 4:23:18 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Mary Fallin for OK Governor in 2010! Mark Rubio for FL Governor in 2010!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If Obama didn’t have GW Bush to kick around, he’d have to invent him.


55 posted on 05/23/2009 4:53:35 PM PDT by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: Thank You Rush

I went to the site and did not see anything about this...


56 posted on 05/23/2009 5:04:54 PM PDT by tina07 (In loving memory of my father,WWII Vet. CBI 10/16/42-12/17/45, d. 11/1/85 -Happy B'day Daddy 2/20/23)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

He seems to be taking swipes in just about EVERY speech or news clip lately. He’s such an a$$wipe...


57 posted on 05/23/2009 5:25:54 PM PDT by Born Conservative (Bohicaville: http://bohicaville.wordpress.com/)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
That One sure seems to be quite insecure. He can't rest on his laurels, cause he doesn't HAVE any, so he's continually trying to tear President Bush down.
It only makes him look smaller when compared to his predecessor.
58 posted on 05/23/2009 5:29:05 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: freema

Yeah...right....Obama ONLY disses Bush and the right. He is OWNED by the left because he IS a LEFTIST and they ALL HATE THE MILITARY!!!


59 posted on 05/23/2009 5:32:52 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Carley

Yet the strangest thing about Obama is that he wants to implement a universal health care (single-payer)plan, which will rival many/most private plans and eliminate them!


60 posted on 05/23/2009 5:34:25 PM PDT by dsutah
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