I have been perusing your responses and I want to ask a question of you.
Put yourself in the Presidents shoes and will the knowledge in mind of just how emotional he is about our troops and the loss of same. And the loss of the 3000 plus on 9/11........
Then stand there and have several idiots ask you to apologize to the nation for these losses!
These requests caused his heart to rise into his throat and did in fact stagger him, each and every time the apology line was said.
I felt it..........I felt it and wondered how the hell he was going to get through this because as much as he would like to apologize for all these things, an apology infers that something wrong was done.
He said", Ossama Bin Laden is responsible for 9-11 and no one else".
I thought it one of his best replies, but he was visibly shaken by our losses in Iraq. he could not apologize or say those kinds of words and he was searching for the answers that would help those who were grieving without showing weakness in front of the entire country. But the question would come again.
I could not have made it through that, yet he did!
He made me and any vet watching very proud. And he restated the goal and the reasons for sacrifice.
Yes, he did fine by me. Anyone who would not be shaken by what we have endured, knowing that we have much more yet to endure would not be the person that I would want sending me or my son into battle.
I agree, that was one of his best lines. But I also think the hemming and hawing didn't come across well, before that. Say it at the outset, say it strong, say that "I was in office only 8 months before Sept 11 and did the best I could with the information available so I have nothing to apologize for!"
LQ