If we're "kicking ass," why is Osama bin Laden on TV?
Submitted by Eric Massa on September 9, 2007 - 2:11pm.
Cross posted from Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/9/134237/1331
(Please recommend and comment over there.)
Friends,
First I want to thank all of you for your continued support for our race. Since last spring, we've moved from being a start up campaign with a dollar and a dream to full fledged top tier challenger race. Your continued support could very well mean the difference between winning and losing against the worst George Bush rubberstamp member of Congress on this side of the Mississippi. I know that together, we can change the course of our nation- we can stand up and demand a new direction for America, but it means working together where we can win. As many of you already know last time we came within 1% of winning and this year we are starting early and I know we can earn the necessary votes.
Today, I want to speak a little bit about the news of the past week. This week we saw President George Bush continuing to make a mockery of our national reputation on a number of different occasions and we saw a brand new Osama bin Laden videotape. Indeed the plot has thickened and the President's wizardry with the spoken word has brought our national dialog to a new high.
The World according to George Bush
Bush's wild week began when he was overheard telling Australian Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile that we're "kicking ass" in Iraq. Such worldly language - it almost sounds like a phrase that should be followed up with "now watch this drive." This sort of flip comment makes me absolutely sick when you stop to consider that another seven of our troops were killed in Bush's preemptive war of occupation and attrition just the other day. How did we ever end up with such a terrible diplomat holding the highest office in the nation? Can you imagine how you'd feel to hear that we're "kicking ass" the day after losing your son or daughter in this unnecessary war?
I'm sure by now, everyone has also seen the story about the President's conversation with the South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun. They were sitting on the stage together for another one of those standard hand shake and smile photo ops, but instead of having meaningless conversation, President Roh decided to ask Bush a real question - When will the US end the Korean War? As you probably know, the Korean War never technically ended, it's actually just had a 54 year cease fire. Rather than discussing this opportunity, Bush started a heated engagement with President Roh, in front of the cameras, and reiterated his flawed policy of "no peace until their nuclear program is shut down." In all practical aspects, the war has been over for more than half a century. I believe that if we were serious about dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat (which is very real and should have been the first priority of the Bush Administration rather than Iraq), then we should be willing to show good faith by "ending" a war that's already over. Bush however wants to play cowboy with this and every issue by aggravating world leaders such as President Roh by publicly blowing him off in what should be a friendly exchange in front of the cameras.
The President's wild week culminated at his speech before the APEC summit on Friday. George called APEC "OPEC" and thanked Australian Prime Minister for his support and talked about when Howard visited his "Austrian" troops in Iraq. It's so strange that we as Americans are just straight up used to this kind of gaffe from our President - however I think it's very embarrassing to have him representing us to the rest of the world while he's constantly struggling to grasp the English language. I understand that we all make errors from time to time, but Bush is at a level of misspeaking that will be remembered for generations. If his grasp of foreign policy was half as strong as his grasp on grammar, then we'd be in a much better position on the world stage than we currently are.
Osama bin Laden returns to the stage
And then, a few days before the sixth anniversary of September 11th, Osama bin Laden returned in a video for the first time since right before the 2004 Elections. This is a very serious matter, and the language he selected suggests an attack may be imminent. For example, in his speech, bin Laden offers a truce to the west stating that we must all convert to Islam. This is not a trivial suggestion and the offering of the olive branch through conversion is the correct custom for Muslims before initiating an attack. We will have to see if the years of Republican leaders using our National Guard in Iraq rather than defending our borders was worth it or not.
I think one of the most striking parts of the video is the fact that bin Laden has gone from a grey beard to a black one. If he has the time and the resources to acquire Just for Men, then we are clearly not doing all we can to kill or capture the mastermind of 9/11. I'm by no means in favor of expanding the war, but we should be using our military to go after bin Laden and al-Qaeda rather than continuing our involvement in a three way ethnic civil war.
Looking to the Future
Tuesday will mark the anniversary of 9/11 and I hope and pray that we will never suffer tragedy like that ever again. When I look at politicians today, many of them have their hearts in the right place, but I truly believe that we need more Veterans in Congress to deal with these real world threats. Right now, the US Congress has the lowest percentage of Veterans in office since World War One. Not to belittle those that have not served, but I there is real value in having leaders who have real experience in actual combat situations before deciding to send our troops into a hostile environment. During my 24 year Navy career, I lost far too many friends in war, and I promise that I will never send our brave men and women to war unless it's absolutely necessary. Iraq was absolutely unnecessary, and we see the costs of that everyday.
I hate to turn the conversation to this, but if you believe in sending people like me to Congress, then you need to help me get elected. I do not accept Corporate PAC contributions because I will not allow my vote to be bought and sold by big business. Until we can enact the Clean Money/Clean Elections laws, that have been such a success in Maine, it is up to you to help me fund this race. Last year, I ended up 1% away from defeating my rubberstamp opponent, Randy Kuhl, and this year we are starting early. With your support, I know we can do it.
-Eric Massa
Commander US Navy (ret.)
Congressional Candidate, NY-29
You're kicking a little ass yourself, Eric. Always good to "see you." We need to get together in Denver at the Convention next summer, if not before.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Don't settle for less.
Make America All It Can Be!
Eric: It's an OUTRAGE that anyone commenting on any aspect of this suddenly emerging "tape" say anything other than WHY THE HELL IS THIS MAN SUPPOSEDLY SENDING US TAPES???? WHO FAILED TO APPREHEND OR KILL THE MASTERMIND BEHIND SEPT. 11?
It's six f* years later! And Bush's cronies are rolling in dough like there's no tomorrow. I really believe anyone who isn't wondering- Why the hell is this bin Laden character commenting on internal politics within the USA? Can't they get Carnivore sniffers, or the USA PATRIOT act or the wiretapping/domestic spying scandal oops way of life in play & figure out where he's getting his news?
Is he safely hidden within Saudi Arabia or WTF? That one soldier fails to come home- let alone into the thousands now- with tens of thousands facing terrible injuries... Osama bin Laden walks this earth free to comment on... Democrats? Huh? People continue to believe this crap?
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." - George W. Bush on Kosovo, Houston Chronicle, 04/09/99
Bush shouldn't be able to show his face in public for a thousand reasons- but especially this!!!!!!!!
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." - George W. Bush on Kosovo, Houston Chronicle, 04/09/99
Well, for many of us it's been more sad head-shaking than laughing.
Those who pay attention to the damage Bush has done in the world with his frightening combination of arrogance and ignorance find it a bit hard to laugh.
But for many casual observers here in Austr(al)ia Bush is just one big walking goof tape. People chuckle about him and say "hey, just shows how stupid Americans are. They elected him, twice".
I know for many, many reasons that's an unfair way to judge Americans, but fair or unfair, I hear it over and over and over again. The APEC Leaders meeting just exposed him more to a general population here that might normally ignore him.
I still can't believe Bush's response to the Osama tape was to say that it proved again how important success in Iraq is. Whaaaa????
I mean someone should take his relatively new passport off him and never let him leave home again.
You'd be taking them to the Better Business Bureau if you bought a washing machine the way we went into the war in Iraq. Wes Clark, CNN Aug 17 2003
Bush didn't have an interest in your homeland before he became president, so I predict he will never return.
You Aussie's laugh while we Yanks ask for deliverance from this mad-man.
I probably won't live long enough to know what an autopsy of Bush discloses, but I suspect it will show early onset of stupidity, followed by gray-matter lose as a result of overuse of drugs and alcohol, followed by the disclosure that Alzheimer's hit him around age 52.
What other explanation is there for this man's manner of speech and unscripted statements?
I'm not that fond of Howard either. He impresses me as a right wing zealot that sticks his nose into American politics too often.
doesn't begin to describe my feelings about john Howard.
Unfortunately for Australia he's been that most useless of things: a gutless leader but a shrewd politician -- which has given him a rat-cunning for survival.
The good news is that at last seems to be deserting him.
I wish it was because of the lies he's told about iraq, but Aussies by and large don't seem to care about that. it's because he lied at the last election that he, as opposed to the Labor party, would keep interest rates down on home mortgages -- and they've gone up several times.
In our parliamentary system there has to be an election every three years, but it's up to the discretion of the Prime Minister when that election is called.
The word was that Howard wanted to call an election right after the APEC leaders conference because he thought strutting around with Bush and other world leaders would enhance his popularity. But polls show it appears to have done the opposite. LOL.
Now the rumours are out that his own party is considering overthrowing him before the next election because they see him as a liability.
You'd be taking them to the Better Business Bureau if you bought a washing machine the way we went into the war in Iraq. Wes Clark, CNN Aug 17 2003
"The word was that Howard wanted to call an election right after the APEC leaders conference because he thought strutting around with Bush and other world leaders would enhance his popularity."
Is your leader Howard sane?
Also, your recent comment highlights that Aussies are more interested in interest rates than Iraq. While we Yanks who follow the Iraq War debacle may rate it highest on our trouble list, but come November 2008, interest rates, home foreclosures, inflation, and the like will dominate the thinking of the not-so-politically involved (meaning the majority of Americans).
that's why I observed that Mr Howard's rat-cunning instinct for survival is deserting him.
It looks like he's survived another threatened party room rebellion this morning. But he's trailing so badly in the polls that he if his party don't dump him the electorate will -- and he says there'll be an election before Christmas.
Polls suggest the government would be decimated in an election over the next few months. But Howard's starting to sound more and more like Bush -- gibbering on blandly about how he has a plan for Australia's future and he's never walked away from a fight in his life etc. etc.
I'm waiting for him to starting talking about a publicity surge or freedom being on the march. His ability to divorce himself from reality would be astonishing if I hadn't already seen the world champion, George W.
You'd be taking them to the Better Business Bureau if you bought a washing machine the way we went into the war in Iraq. Wes Clark, CNN Aug 17 2003
Even if rather dark, it needs to be addressed. You must win this time. My contribution is headed your way.