Bush stands by aircraft carrier speech

Boston Globe ^ | 27-Sep-2004 | Patrick Healy

[HawaiianGecko]

 

Bush stands by aircraft carrier speech

Defends declaring major conflict over in words to troops

By Patrick Healy, Globe Staff  |  September 27, 2004

MADISON, Wis. -- President Bush said in a television interview airing tonight that he does not regret flying to an aircraft carrier in May 2003 and announcing an end of major combat in Iraq -- under the banner "Mission Accomplished" -- despite the subsequent deaths of some 900 US military personnel from ongoing turmoil in that country.

According to excerpts of the interview with Fox News's "The O'Reilly Factor," Bush said twice that he would "absolutely" still don a Navy flight suit and make the declaration if he had to do it over again -- a comment that Democratic rival John F. Kerry attacked yesterday in hopes of tripping up Bush with his own words by depicting him as a leader who refuses to admit, or learn from, his mistakes.
"I'm saying to the troops, on this carrier and elsewhere, thanks for serving America," Bush told Fox News. "And by the way, those sailors and airmen loved seeing the commander in chief. . . . These kids had been on a very long cruise. They'd been on a cruise to both, in two theaters of war now, Afghanistan and Iraq. I flew out there and said thanks. Thanks on behalf of a grateful nation. You bet I'd do it again."

 

[HawaiianGecko]

Personally I think President Bush should start running "Mission Accomplished" ads using footage of his trip to the USS Lincoln.  In fact I think he should ram these ads right down John Kerry's throat. The American public isn't stupid enough (I hope) to see anything other than what that trip is; A very popular President journeying to an aircraft carrier that was stretched past it's limit in two wars to thank them personally. All the petty remarks from the Kerry camp about "mission accomplished" have always seemed to me to be nothing but minion grumblings.

[Old Sarge]

Never happen.

[marty60]

ABSOLUTLY!!!!!!

[The_Victor]

The mission was to depose Saddam Hussein (sp?) and his government.

Mission Accomplished!

[Conspiracy Guy]

exactly

[WoodstockCat]

October Surprise perhaps?

[BonnieJ]

Democrats have been scared of those images from the first day. It had nothing to do with the message, but everything to do with how incredible Pres. Bush came across to us all that day...In command, handsome & virile, versatile in his abilities, popular with the troops, steadfast and determined.

[dalebert]

He should stand by it. I loved it.

[RasterMaster]

Ditto that!

[JohnnyZ]

If John Kerry were President (perish the thought!):

He'd welcome the troops home with a War Crimes Tribunal under UN auspices.

[HardStarboard]

>>>Personally I think President Bush should start running "Mission Accomplished" ads using footage of his trip to the USS Lincoln. <<<

Amen! Those images are everything the Democrats no longer stand for.

The "Mission Accomplished" pics ought to be in an ad narrated by Zell Miller.

[Old Grumpy]

He SHOULD stand by his speech. The mission was, indeed, accomplished.

[Huck]

Well, looking at the Ttranscript of the speech, I think the president was talking about the entire mission, Operation Iraqi Freedom, not just the carrier's mission:

Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.

In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment, yet it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other made this day possible.

Because of you our nation is more secure. Because of you the tyrant has fallen and Iraq is free.

Operation Iraqi Freedom was carried out with a combination of precision and speed and boldness the enemy did not expect and the world had not seen before.

From distant bases or ships at sea, we sent planes and missiles that could destroy an enemy division or strike a single bunker. Marines and soldiers charged to Baghdad across 350 miles of hostile ground in one of the swiftest advances of heavy arms in history.

You have shown the world the skill and the might of the American armed forces.

This nation thanks all of the members of our coalition who joined in a noble cause. We thank the armed forces of the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland who shared in the hardships of war. We thank all of the citizens of Iraq who welcomed our troops and joined in the liberation of their own country.

And tonight, I have a special word for Secretary Rumsfeld, for General Franks and for all the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States: America is grateful for a job well done.

There is no question his remarks were not limited to just the carrier. On the other hand, he did point out there was more work to do:

We have difficult work to do in Iraq. We're bringing order to parts of that country that remain dangerous. We're pursuing and finding leaders of the old regime who will be held to account for their crimes. We've begun the search for hidden chemical and biological weapons, and already know of hundreds of sites that will be investigated.

We are helping to rebuild Iraq where the dictator built palaces for himself instead of hospitals and schools.

And we will stand with the new leaders of Iraq as they establish a government of, by and for the Iraqi people.

The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort. Our coalition will stay until our work is done and then we will leave and we will leave behind a free Iraq.

The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11th, 2001 and still goes on.

I personally think that this speech undersold the level of killing we would face, but I guess they didn't expect it. I don't think anyone thought 900 American soldiers would be killed after that point. So if the dims want to say the president oversold the victory of Enduring Freedom, and undersold the dangers ahead, maybe they have a case. The problem for them is that their candidate has ZERO credibility on Iraq, so even though people have some problems with how Iraq has gone, they have no choice but to re-up GWB for 4 more years.

[WilliamWallace1999]

Why won't the Lame-stream media point out the fact that Bush NEVER SAID mission accomplished in the speech? That sign was posted by the crew of the carrier. They HAD accomplished their mission and were going home. The image got overlaid on Bush and stuck to him as a quotation that never was.

[Hi Heels]

""I will never be a president who just says 'mission accomplished.' I will get the mission accomplished -- that's the difference," Kerry said."

"Senator" Kerry: You will never be president. THAT'S the difference. Signed, FReeperazzi-"Mission Accomplished"

[HawaiianGecko]

Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

>>>And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. <<<

I view the second line of his speech as proof that he wasn't saying that Enduring Freedom was over, just the "major military" portion of it.  I agree that we missed the insurgency that is going on today, but I'm positive that not even GOD himself could have predicted that accurately, and anyone from General Clark to General Shinseki that says he could have predicted it is a bald face liar, as none of them did prior to the installation of the arm chairs needed for Monday morning quarterbacking.  None of these yahoos thought that non Iraqi terrorists would stream through the borders, in fact when they did start infiltrating these very generals doubted they were anyone other than Ba-athists.  Not once prior to it actually happening did anyone even mention the town of Fallujah.

Admiral Kelly, Captain Card, officers and sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln, my fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.

>>>And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country. <<<

[AFPhys]

We all know how a hypothetical Kerry president would have handled this. He would have windsurfed out to meet the Lincoln & then told the USS Lincoln crowd ''You didn't do squat.''

Retort to the Demodogs... Maybe even a bumper sticker battle point...

BUSH: "Mission Accomplished"

sKERRY: "You didn't do squat"

Which Supports Our Troops?

[wvnavyvet]

The President has taken a lot of flak over his arrival in a jet wearing a jumpsuit. Having been to sea and returning from numerious deployments I think it's great the way he did it. He flew way out to sea to thank the troops and NOT slow thier planned return date and time to homeport. That says a lot to those of us who have been to sea. The other thing is he was a pilot but most of all HE IS THE COMMANDER and CHIEF and has the right to do it how ever he wants.

[Prost1]

Personally, I have always thought the Carrier's Mission was Acccomplished. There was nothing left for the planes to bomb in Iraq or Afganistan.

And, the Taliban was overthrown. And, Saddam was gone.

Mission Accomplished! Great Job!

[Mr. Thorne]

The Duke said it best:

"Never apologize, son, it shows weakness."

(She Wore A Yellow Ribbon)