As a combat vet of the Persian Gulf war, the only salute I would give him would be the "middle finger" salute. He is a disgrace and no friend of the military and I doubt there are few supporters in the military for him. Thanks Obama for the paltry 2% military pay raise for 2012, the scaling back of VA benefits and education and the eventual RIF we all know is coming.

obama is an idiot, he has two shots at remaining in office;

1. Have HIS ows idiots create enough havoc that he can declare martial law.

(next spring the ows will be taken over by obama's unions)

2. Become a war time president.

You want to know what the active military think of this idiot president, talk to them?

chuckzul you are right on!!!! AND Thank you for your service and honesty!!!!

Tommy-499410

Thank you for keeping your promise! The men and women of the military salute you! You are the best president we have ever have!! Thank you again!!

Which promise is that?

That's weird, Chuck. All Obama's done is increase veterans' benefits, while it's the REPUBLICANS who regularly cut them. Maybe you should think for yourself instead of letting Fox do it for you.

Some of you GOPpers act like insecure, little men.

You complain about being rescued from drowning, because the CPR tech had breath: Even though he saved your life?

So libs, you think obama deserves credit for getting us out of Iraq. Rather interesting that you wish to rewrite history so soon.

It was bush whose signature is on the SOFA treaty that mandates US troops be gone by the end of 2011 and even MSN/nbc reported attempts by CinC obama lobbying the Iraqi's to allow troops to remain in country after 2011.

If obama was so opposed to this conflict why didn't we vacate iraq in 2009? Or why did he try to mantain US troops in iraq after 2011?

It's funny how Republicans have become so weak on National Defense.

Sure, they still try to talk a tough game, but Americans see right through it.

It was Regan who cut and ran in Beruit, emboldening terrorists. George H.W. Bush left Saddam Hussein in power. And then just look at the debacle of the Bush years, first allowing the September 11 attacks to happen, then waging a pointless war in Iraq that drained us of blood and treasure, and finally allowing Osama Bin Laden to escape through incompetence.

The last paragraph is the real reason that obama went to NC - barely won last time, important next time and DNC is hosting there.

Politics over compassion every time.

Why not address the U.S. military at large from a more neutral location? Welcoming the army minimizes the sacrifices of the other sister services.

NO Griff FU. If Obama was playing politics he would have watied till next. Are so Fing dumb not to see that. Beside if our soldiers can't get immunity then they should be back.

Also Obama actually is bringing troops home. (the real end to the war).

And Gary K, you're right when Bush invaded Iraq he confirmed his second term. No sitting war time president has ever been voted out. First of all, I could give a rats a** what the military thinks. Its not their job to think its to follow the commander and chief. Or is chain of command total BS.

THANK YOU MR. PRESIDENT!

Hope Amnestesy International succeeds in throwing GW & Cheney in jail for war crimes!

Adam, what branch of service was obama in again?

Matt L... better review the gulf war history, the arab coalition made the decision not to take saddam down at that time. Amazing that they gave bush2 the go ahead to do it circa 2002/2003.

So matt, has obama promoted good foriegn policy by publicly sanctioning the invasion of a soveriegn nation and assasinating a scumbag? Doesn't reflect well on our nations interests to promote our rule of law overseas now does it?

LMAO calypso, I see little difference between the miltary actions taken by either obama or bush2. However I see a lot wrong with obama and company fomenting conflict in other soveriegn nations. "____— must go" ring a bell? Or how about his administration telling the russian populace to investigate voter fraud? Then there is the unsolicited advice obama wants to give the EU on its debt crises

Liberal = Traitor & Idiot

It took a long time. But the poo was so smelly, he had to walk carefully.

It took patience and genius to get us out of the poo that Bush made.

Congratulations Obama -- Mission Accomplished!

You have some kind of brass, trying to speak for everybody in the military! Crawl back under your rock.

@goodytwoshoes, chuckzul, Gary K-2697770, Griff999, Toasty McGrath, american-2051576, beachbum12, the thinker-318752, Adam-2011718, joel-989818

The list above: One person in the military claiming President Obama did not give them enough of a pay raise which they deserve, but had it wrong the reason why the military brass did not give you a raise is because the Republican agreed to cut military spending by $400 - 600 billion dollars. So the military brass held off on better pay raises not President Obama. President Obama and congress the only thing they did all year just signed more benefits into law which have not took full effect to date.

As for the GOP vote against your own interest because the GOP said so is flat out stupid.

I'm sure no lib as you call us can convince you that President Obama's correct.

But if your way of doing everything was so Right why did the economy explode? You had President Bush and a GOP majority the first 4 years of his Presidency remember the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003. You could not get those through if you did not have the majority and that includes filibuster proof in the senate. That was 8 years of Bush. We have been doing the tax cuts for the rich, for the last 35 years and we are at revenue levels equal = to 1950's. If you can't see that is out of balance then yes year after year you would have a revenue short fall. Your mama would to if you cut her social security check in half. That my GOP/TG/RW friends is math.

So go such an egg with your failed theories they haven't worked and we have facts to back that up with. Not FUX NEWS LIES on a piece of paper.

Chuck is obviously unaware that the military gives more money to Obama than all of the Repub candidates combined with the exception of Paul..

obama the patriot... you're so brave and courageous sir! now please go away and never open your mouth again.

Message to Obama! Please stop your whining and blaming of others. You made the promises! PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT TO KEEP THEM!

Matt L According to the timelines established by the very liberal national press in this country. The planning of 9/11 took place on Clintons watch. Also it was Oliver North who warned congress about Osama Bin Ladin. And the Cole attack and many other attacks on american targets and assetts took place on Clintons watch! Nice spin though!

"Thanks Obama for the paltry 2% military pay raise for 2012..."

Well, Chuckzul, at least the military is getting a raise in 2012, as happens every year, and rightly deserve. But many in the private sector haven't seen a raise in 3, 4, or more years. Your glass should be half full, not empty, on this one.

tommy-499,

"

Thank you for keeping your promise! The men and women of the military salute you! You are the best president we have ever have!! Thank you again!!

President Obama 2012!!"

THAT is EXACTLY why he did what he did - to get people who can't or will not think to vote for him in 2012. Do you honestly think that ending it will make this or any other country safer?

Obama has on several occasions addressed his reasons for ending the war, casting it as a promise kept after he ran for president as an anti-war candidate and speaking of the need to refocus U.S. attention on rebuilding the troubled economy at home.

Gee - do you think any of those "reasons" included the Status of Forces Agreement negotiated and signed by Bush in 2008 that set December 2011 as the projected withdrawal date????

Of course not - Obama has pretty much continued Bush policies in both wars and tried to take credit for anything good that happened and blame Bush for anything bad. We never expected anything different from this novice.

So go such an egg with your failed theories they haven't worked and we have facts to back that up with. Not FUX NEWS LIES on a piece of paper.

When you learn to spell (which actually requires thought!), come back and post.

Tell us:

1. Who sets the budget and passes legislation?

2. When did the stock market DOW peak over 14000 and when did it start its dive to 6500?

3. Which party took over Congress in 2007?

4. Which party controlled the WH and both houses of Congress until January of this year?

5. Which party still controls the WH and the Senate?

6. Who promised unemployment would not exceed 8% if they were elected?

7. Have things gotten better of worse since 2007?

Dr Larry- Here's a bonus question: What president has created more economic despair and broken dreams, and is destined to leave a legacy of arrogant self-righteousness and incompetence that we have never before experienced?

Thank you for keeping your promise! The men and women of the military salute you! You are the best president we have ever have!! Thank you again!!

President Obama 2012!!"

THAT is EXACTLY why he did what he did - to get people who can't or will not think to vote for him in 2012. Do you honestly think that ending it will make this or any other country safer?

A true Repugnican comment.... No respect for our military. This is a new low, to get people who can't or will not think to vote for him. You deserve an award for posting worst, most insensitive, ignorant, least valued comment of the day!

Just because soldiers are trained, and as soldier are expected to follow orders - no military regulation require them to vote under orders of their commanders.

As citizens - they have the right, the obligation, to use self-directed thought ... to vote their conscience - for our Nations best interests as well as their own self-interests.

Ahhh, look at all the little GOPers doing damage control. I can just see them now"look there's a positive Obama story, we need to get on newsvine and complain about anything we can think of". What a bunch of losers. BTW, how's those GOP candidates looking? BWAHAHAHAHA!

That is correct American 205... Dumbama had no choice. Bush made him do it. Yes Obie wanted to stay. lol

Obama: The Affirmative Action President
by
Matt Patterson (columnist - Washington Post, New York Post, San Francisco Examiner)

Years from now, historians may regard the 2008 election of Barack Obama as an inscrutable and disturbing phenomenon, a baffling breed of mass hysteria akin perhaps to the witch craze of the Middle Ages. How, they will wonder, did a man so devoid of professional accomplishment beguile so many into thinking he could manage the world's largest economy, direct the world's most powerful military, execute the world's most consequential job?

Imagine a future historian examining Obama's pre-presidential life: ushered into and through the Ivy League despite unremarkable grades and test scores along the way; a cushy non-job as a "community organizer"; a brief career as a state legislator devoid of legislative achievement (and in fact nearly devoid of his attention, so often did he vote "present"); and finally an unaccomplished single term in the United States Senate, the entirety of which was devoted to his presidential ambitions. He left no academic legacy in academia, authored no signature legislation as a legislator.

And then there is the matter of his troubling associations: the white-hating, America-loathing preacher who for decades served as Obama's "spiritual mentor"; a real-life, actual terrorist who served as Obama's colleague and political sponsor. It is easy to imagine a future historian looking at it all and asking: how on Earth was such a man elected president?

Not content to wait for history, the incomparable Norman Podhoretz addressed the question recently in the Wall Street Journal:
To be sure, no white candidate who had close associations with an outspoken hater of America like Jeremiah Wright and an unrepentant terrorist like Bill Ayers, would have lasted a single day. But because Mr. Obama was black, and therefore entitled in the eyes of liberaldom to have hung out with protesters against various American injustices, even if they were a bit extreme, he was given a pass.

Let that sink in: Obama was given a pass -- held to a lower standard -- because of the color of his skin. Podhoretz continues:

And in any case, what did such ancient history matter when he was also so articulate and elegant and (as he himself had said) "non-threatening," all of which gave him a fighting chance to become the first black president and thereby to lay the curse of racism to rest?

Podhoretz puts his finger, I think, on the animating pulse of the Obama phenomenon -- affirmative action. Not in the legal sense, of course. But certainly in the motivating sentiment behind all affirmative action laws and regulations, which are designed primarily to make white people, and especially white liberals, feel good about themselves.

Unfortunately, minorities often suffer so that whites can pat themselves on the back. Liberals routinely admit minorities to schools for which they are not qualified, yet take no responsibility for the inevitable poor performance and high drop-out rates which follow. Liberals don't care if these minority students fail; liberals aren't around to witness the emotional devastation and deflated self-esteem resulting from the racist policy that is affirmative action. Yes, racist.

Holding someone to a separate standard merely because of the color of his skin -- that's affirmative action in a nutshell, and if that isn't racism, then nothing is. And that is what America did to Obama.

True, Obama himself was never troubled by his lack of achievements, but why would he be? As many have noted, Obama was told he was good enough for Columbia despite undistinguished grades at Occidental; he was told he was good enough for the US Senate despite a mediocre record in Illinois; he was told he was good enough to be president despite no record at all in the Senate. All his life, every step of the way, Obama was told he was good enough for the next step, in spite of ample evidence to the contrary.

What could this breed if not the sort of empty narcissism on display every time Obama speaks?

In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. Those people -- conservatives included -- ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of clichés, and that's when he has his teleprompter in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all. Not one original idea has ever issued from his mouth -- it's all warmed-over Marxism of the kind that has failed over and over again for 100 years.

And what about his character? Obama is constantly blaming anything and everything else for his troubles. Bush did it; it was bad luck; I inherited this mess. It is embarrassing to see a president so willing to advertise his own powerlessness, so comfortable with his own incompetence. But really, what were we to expect? The man has never been responsible for anything, so how do we expect him to act responsibly?

In short: our president is a small and small-minded man, with neither the temperament nor the intellect to handle his job. When you understand that, and only when you understand that, will the current erosion of liberty and prosperity make sense. It could not have gone otherwise with such a man in the Oval Office.

Joseph E. Parent -- Your post is an oxymoron at best, or just moronic.

The "Bush" time table was flexible....

He originally promised to have us out by 2008 ... didn't happen. Then he allowed Cheney and minions to propose that we were in it for the near future, the closest number they were willing to agree on was 2020. Then the War Hawk Arm chair analist GOPpers were very vocal in condemning President Obama for even proposing a date for troop withdrawals.

So the question is - "Which Bush plan are you claiming President Obama followed"? ... Then there is the well know declaration that "Mission Accomplished" was completed, under Bush administration long ago. The bullets and continued fighting ... never happened - it was just a dream, Just like "Who shot JR". Never ever happened. hostilities were declared over on the deck of the Air craft carrier, long before President Obama took office.

They threw shoes at Bush, and Bush only delayed the process. Should have never had war with Iraq, but since USA did. Bush should have had our troops in and out. 10 yrs to line their pockets, on our soldiers Souls.

Sorry. Bush got us into this mess. I know the last of the 28% who approved of Bush's job performance will try to salvage his Presidency and claim that there was some agreement Bush signed, but that date was flexible.

The point remains that Bush got us into this mess. Obama got us out of it.

My understanding is that we would have been willing to leave a residual force of around 5,000 for training and security purposes. However, the Iraqis insisted that these forces come under Iraqi law, rather than U.S. military law. We weren't willing to to do that, and therefore the total withdrawal (with the exception of Embassy security).

wow TP and beowofl, talk about running off at the mouth....libs sure do it well. Woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't cut it.

It was bush who siigned the SOFA agreement with iraq on when US forces had to be gone. Apparently a simple internet search on this agreement isn't simple enough for you tp get the facts. BTW beowolf don't you find it interebushessting that obama wanted to keep US combat troops in iraq after 2011? MSN/NBC reported this earlier in the year. It was quite amusing when they reported that the iraqi's insisted that obama stand by bush's agreed withdrawal date.

Suz - Yep saddams neighbors, NATO and the UN sure did do everything in their power to prevent coalition backed forces from entering iraq. I bet the arab coalition of the gulf war in the early 90's regretted not having coalition forces proceed onto bagdad to remove saddam at that time.

wow TP and beowofl, talk about running off at the mouth....libs sure do it well. Woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't cut it.

If you were ever a soldier in the US military, you either weren't very good at it or not literate. These issuesis discussed in basic and reinforced frequently throughout a soldier/sailor/airman/Marines career. Our officers can be assigned to work with our allies, but the he is still solely responsible for the troops under his command.

We have the same or very similar SOFA agreement with every country were American troops are stationed. We do not place our troops or our technology under foreign control... that's just the way it is.

The very idea of placing our Troops or technology is anathema to the Chain of command. The last time it was even discussed was in WWII, where Montgomery keep pushing to lead the combined forces. He overplayed his hand one time too many and bluntly told ... that would never happen.

Same with foreign Civilian control of our military troops... never gonna happen. We are either there to aid or to conqour - disipline for our soldier is under UCMJ, period.

Beoweolf, you need to go back to school. You also have never been in the military as you know nothing about what you are writing about here. Additionally, we just finished a little deal called Libya where some of our military were under the direct command of NATO generals that were not from the US. In WWI and WWII our forces were frequently under the command of British and French generals. Remember "Blackhawk Down", that incident, many believe, was caused because US forces were under UN direction. It happens all the time.

And until you can learn to type, please do not call others illiterate as reading your post was quit an exercise. And if you thought they were trying to teach what you say they were in Basic, you need to remove the tubes from your ears so that you can hear.

Your Credibility = Zero

Complain all you like about Obama-- 4 out of 5 Americans approve of the troop withdrawal. This is a stable end to a war we never should have entered in the first place-- a war that cost about a trillion dollars and almost 5,000 American lives not to mention the number of Iraqis killed and maimed. And for what? WMD's that were destroyed in air strikes in the early 90's. We went to war on the basis of flawed and fake intel because Cheney couldn't wait to get his hands on all that oil.

And until you can learn to type, please do not call others illiterate as reading your post was quit an exercise. And if you thought they were trying to teach what you say they were in Basic, you need to remove the tubes from your ears so that you can hear.

Your Credibility = Zero

Baby's sure can cry when you take away their lollies.

They aren't all home. Most of my friends in Iraq are being kept in Kuwait, or were redeployed to Afghanistan.

Technically, it can't be called an illegal war if declaration of war was never asked for; policing powers were asked for and granted to the president to handle a conflict. Although not exactly what I would call "in the right", it wasn't illegal it's what every military involvement since the Korean War has been. We haven't declared war since WWII.

The wonderful world of loopholes eh?

Part of being a true patriot is not asking for credit for your accomplishments. History will record Obama's successes in foreign policy.

While not likely to be alive when an accurate appraisal will be made on obamas foreign policy, I doubt if it will rank anywhere near the foreign policies of past administrations in the 20th century or even of his contemporaries.To date he and carter seem to be in the same league, except carter did broker peace between egypt and israel

Peoples Party Thomas Kipley DuGan President 2012 "A real man; a real American and more."

yeah curious results, took 10 yrs and the worlds most highly trained, powerfull, technologically superior military organization to get osama but it only took the untrained libyan citizens, with a lil side help from the un et/al, less than a year to get gaddafi

@Lilbear: That's because the Iraqis weren't ready for their revolution.

Freedom earned is a lot sweeter than freedom given. We'll see how long it lasts for Iraq.

o yeah freedom lol i forgot that part theres a lot of that goin around in the middle east i doubt the dust will be long settled before they start killing each other again

and o yeah wtf does iraq have to do with osama and afganistan

Yes...

Except this time, the troops are out of harms way. As for the Bush, "Mission Accomplished" - swagger and bombast - Its not good to say the war is over - while the enemy is poking you in the eye with a sharp stick, it may give the wrong impression.

This time, the supreme commander was real General, thumbs up for Pretras. Not an accountant trying to win a war on an unlimited, unfunded budget - which regretfully still found it difficult to provide protection for the real live, boots on the ground, soldiers who had to duck steel-jacketed mosquitoes.

Right. And in the best spirit of keeping it green, O'Bummer can recycle the old banner from '03.

as a vn vet 68-70 i am glad they are home and hope they get to stay but i have my doubts, there will be other places to bring our version of democracy to whether those countrys want it or not. its not the military that i have a problem with, they are truly the best, my problem is with the govt and the military industrial complex and the war profiteers that fund and equip both sides and then sit back to watch the show

Not both sides the Wars have been a Bush Era=Error.

This has been widely debunked, and any thinking person can see through it.

It's not just that Bush was such an utter failure in every aspect that he would never have had the wherewithal to set a timetable for withdrawal. That would be too much. Rather, any inspection clearly reveals that Bush's deadline was flexible.

In other words, it was no deadline at all.

The difference is one president had a plan and the other president actually followed through on that plan. Now the GOP is crying foul. The majority of Americans have said that is enough. GOP are you listening.

As for the reduction of military funding, well when you leave Iraq you wont need the same level of spending.

Believe me, the plan was set in motion by Bush, that doesn't mean he kept time with it.

By the late-19th century, technological advances and commercial pressure advanced to the point where construction started in earnest. An initial attempt by France to build a sea-level canal failed, but only after a great amount of excavation was carried out. This was of use to the U.S. effort, which finally completed the present Panama Canal in 1914

The French started the Panama Canal.... and failed. Their plan was both over ambitious, flawed in its design and unnecessary complex in its execution. They had to abandon it as they were going bankrupt and loosing too many men in the process.

We finished it and succeeded.

So, do you give credit to France for Building it?

hmmmm obama supporters, afraid to read the SOFA agreement that bush and company signed in 2008 with iraq. Nothing flexable about the drop dead date for US withdrawal.

american that is why the GOP are crying know they don't want too leave. They want the war to keep going. The next war we got into, remember the GOP started it.

Who has declared victory?...I must have missed that. Keeping ONE campaign promise? This is one MORE in a long list of promises he's kept. It's interesting you feel he needs to show more dignity especially as compared to the last few presidents. What are aides for if not to advise the president? Your post is wrong on all points.

I've listened to few excerpts of the speech and read a few articles. I never heard or read the word "victory". This is not Obama's or the democrats war. It was won shortly after the surge began in 2007. Obama, Clinton, Kennedy and other democrats voted AGAINST the surge that resulted in victory, which actually occurred long before today.

I am certain Obama is intentionally avoiding the word "victory", because that belongs to the one all the haters love to hate.

hs321 - The military gets credit for the "victory" not Bush or Obama. If you weren't such a right wing hack maybe you would realize that.

Thank you for your sacrifices sir, I wish you the best.

o7

Thank you for your service to America Bubba!

Vietnam Vets were treating horribly. Hopfully, the country has learned from that injustice and gives returning Iraq and Afghanistan vets more support. Even better would be if we learned not to send troops into future quagmires. There has to be smarter ways to deal with international conflicts.

The GOP said no to mental health and want to cut the benefit to the vet again.

Unfortunately Amy, little has changed - denial of benefits, delays in treatment, and for the gallant fallen - a landfill in Virginia.

I'm amazed anyone still wants to serve.

Republican Congress except for about 6 and all but one of their Presidential Candidates are doing exactly what they are told by NOrquist. Nothing More. Those NOrquist legislators could have increase to ALL by now.

Show some respect to your President in this role. Save your snark for another day.

"The Commander in Chief didn't go to Fort Bragg today, the Campaigner in Chief did".

These lame insults are played out! Please post something intelligent!!!

NOT!

Patty's right. Their impotent rage is not all that entertaining. They really need to develop some range.

Your so naive. If Obama weren't re-elected those troops would still be there, regardless of what you or the middle east wants. Dumb sh*t

I guess with that logic, the President is never supposed to give a speech? Clueless!!!

@Patty-Virginia Beach,

I'm sure you think corporations are people too.

President Obama will need all the money he can get against the Koch brothers 50 billion.

Stupid Judges; corporations are people too. The judges should be put in jail for that.

You must be Patty, but don't include the rest of us in your "Are we stupid or what?" question. At least the rest of us know that Obama's taken less vacation than the last 3 Republican presidents.

Get some new talking points. Yours are boring and tired.

By 2016 or 2020 the whites in this country will be the minority and there wont be a dam thing they can do about it. But make a hole bunch of noise and get put in jail. I'll billy club you myself. LOL

In 2010 the minorities had more children than the marjority do the math in 18 years.

"By 2016 or 2020 the whites in this country will be the minority"

So what??? I'm a white guy and I'm not afraid of it. What's your problem???

That's because most minorities are breeders as encouraged by government entitlements.

Pres Johnson even said "I'll have those n*ggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years."

Source: Ronald Kessler's Book, "Inside The White House"