Posted by Tina
Politicians will say just about anything to get your vote. Most of the time they dont bother to take into consideration the things that have previously been said by the oppositionnobody pays attention and besides, we Americans have very short memories. The internet, however, has been a big help in this regard. So when I read the following statement made by Barack Obama about President Bush, I went in search of a few things I thought I remembered hearing the President say. Obama’s remarks were meant to discredit the president and elevate himself. But he has blatantly misrepresented the President and in the process made himself seem ignorant and petty.
First the statements (all emphasis mine) made by Obama as reported in the article,
Obama: Oil price is among most dangerous weapons, by Klaus Marre The Hill:
The price of a barrel of oil is now one of the most dangerous weapons in the world, Obama said in remarks prepared for a speech in Ohio. Tyrants from Caracas to Tehran use it to prop up their regimes, intimidate the international community and hold us hostage to a market that is subject to their whims. *** Obama criticized the Bush administration for having narrowly defined security as fighting an open-ended war in Iraq, instead of tackling other issues that are all tied to keeping the country safe. *** In the interconnected world of this new century, new threats come from stateless terrorists, loose nuclear weapons, the spread of pandemic disease, an inability to compete with rising powers in the global economy, the threat of global climate change and our dependence on foreign oil, the Illinois Democrat stated. *** Obama used Iran as an example to illustrate his point, saying that, if the country decided to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices could double to $300-a-barrel and the price of a gallon of gasoline could triple in the U.S. to $12.
Senator Obama has a lot of chutzpah as the following quotes will reveal. (Either that or he just arrived on the earth from some obscure planet and hasn’t a clue.) I have taken excerpts from three of the Presidents State of the Union Addresses. (Once again, all emphasis mine.)
In his 2003 State of the Union Address President Bush had this to say:
In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation. Tonight I’m proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles. *** A single chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car — producing only water, not exhaust fumes. With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. *** Join me in this important innovation to make our air significantly cleaner, and our country much less dependent on foreign sources of energy. *** I ask you tonight to add to our future security with a major research and production effort to guard our people against bioterrorism, called Project Bioshield. The budget I send you will propose almost $6 billion to quickly make available effective vaccines and treatments against agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, Ebola, and plague. We must assume that our enemies would use these diseases as weapons, and we must act before the dangers are upon us.
***
Twenty-eight months have passed since September 11th, 2001 — over two years without an attack on American soil. And it is tempting to believe that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting — and false. The killing has continued in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Mombasa, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Baghdad. The terrorists continue to plot against America and the civilized world. And by our will and courage, this danger will be defeated.
The President called for a strong “will” and “courage” in the face of terrorism. The leadership of the democrat party and their many supporters gave him and the American people neither. Senator Obama appears to share in this model of placing self-interest before the interests of the country.
***
To overcome dangers in our world, we must also take the offensive by encouraging economic progress, and fighting disease, and spreading hope in hopeless lands. Isolationism would not only tie our hands in fighting enemies, it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need. We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, and organized crime, and human trafficking, and the drug trade. *** In recent years, you and I have taken unprecedented action to fight AIDS and malaria, expand the education of girls, and reward developing nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform. For people everywhere, the United States is a partner for a better life. Short-changing these efforts would increase the suffering and chaos of our world, undercut our long-term security, and dull the conscience of our country. I urge members of Congress to serve the interests of America by showing the compassion of America. *** Our own generation is in a long war against a determined enemy — a war that will be fought by Presidents of both parties, who will need steady bipartisan support from the Congress. And tonight I ask for yours. Together, let us protect our country, support the men and women who defend us, and lead this world toward freedom. *** Here at home, America also has a great opportunity: We will build the prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership in the world. *** Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources — and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. *** So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative — a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research — at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy. *** We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We’ll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. *** Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. *** And to keep America competitive, one commitment is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity. Our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated, hardworking, ambitious people — and we’re going to keep that edge. Tonight I announce an American Competitiveness Initiative, to encourage innovation throughout our economy, and to give our nation’s children a firm grounding in math and science.
President Bush has lead our nation with a strong resolve. He has defended this nation in many ways and on many fronts, just as he has consistently said he would. He has considered the various ways that our enemies might wage war against us and has proposed and implimented programs and solutions with the cooperation of many Americans as well as many nations. His record has been ignored and misrepresented. His achievemnets have gone unreported. Many in the opposition party continue to misrepresent him and block legislation on his proposals, even when they further popular democrat causes and ideas, like environmental concerns and funding programs to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. The most egregious failure of the Democrat leadership is their failure to unite behind the president to defend this nation. The democrat party leaders (and many who support them) have chosen to serve their party instead of the American people. They do not care what it costs.
Obama can disrespect the President with lies all he wants, it’s a free country, but his behavior isn’t what I expect from a man who wants to be the next resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Please vote wisely in November.