I’m not sure why Sina wrote the article but I have to say I agree with much of it. President Obama has always come across (to me that is) as a man who thinks he is not only better than other people but a walking legend. He is the definition of “Do as I say, not as I do” and the phrase “leadership by example” is completely lost on him. Here is the article. I recommend reading it to see what I’m talking about.
I also read, again, an e-mail containing
speeches of George W. Bush and Barack Obama on the occasions of
capturing/killing Saddaam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. While Mr. Bush was humble and did nothing but
praise our military and intelligence services, President Obama patted himself
on the back for the actions taken by those same military and intelligence
services. The two speeches are
completely opposite in the context of who gets the credit for what
happened.
Here is the speech that President Bush made:
“Good afternoon.
Yesterday, December the 13th, at around 8:30 p.m. Baghdad time, United States military forces captured Saddam Hussein alive. He was found near a farmhouse outside the city of Tikrit, in a swift raid conducted without casualties. And now the former dictator of Iraq will face the justice he denied to millions.
The capture of this man was crucial to the rise of a free Iraq. It marks the end of the road for him, and for all who bullied and killed in his name. For the Baathist holdouts largely responsible for the current violence, there will be no return to the corrupt power and privilege they once held. For the vast majority of Iraqi citizens who wish to live as free men and women, this event brings further assurance that the torture chambers and the secret police are gone forever.
And this afternoon, I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again. All Iraqis who take the side of freedom have taken the winning side. The goals of our coalition are the same as your goals -- sovereignty for your country, dignity for your great culture, and for every Iraqi citizen, the opportunity for a better life.
In the history of Iraq, a dark and painful era is over. A hopeful day has arrived. All Iraqis can now come together and reject violence and build a new Iraq.
The success of yesterday's mission is a tribute to our men and women now serving in Iraq. The operation was based on the superb work of intelligence analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our coalition allies have faced many dangers in the hunt for members of the fallen regime, and in their effort to bring hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their work continues, and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate 'em.
I also have a message for all Americans: The capture of Saddam Hussein does not mean the end of violence in Iraq. We still face terrorists who would rather go on killing the innocent than accept the rise of liberty in the heart of the Middle East. Such men are a direct threat to the American people, and they will be defeated.
We've come to this moment through patience and resolve and focused action. And that is our strategy moving forward. The war on terror is a different kind of war, waged capture by capture, cell by cell, and victory by victory. Our security is assured by our perseverance and by our sure belief in the success of liberty. And the United States of America will not relent until this war is won.
May God bless the
people of Iraq, and may God bless America.
Thank you.”
President Bush used the word “I” four times during his
speech. He said:
“I have a message for the Iraqi people: You will not have to fear the rule of Saddam Hussein ever again.”
“I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate 'em.”
“I also have a message for all Americans: The capture of Saddam Hussein does not mean the end of violence in Iraq.”
There are no self-serving words in the entire speech. All credit was given to our intelligence agencies and to our military.
Compare President Bush’s speech with just three paragraphs
of President Obama’s speech concerning the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Mr. Obama’s speech was almost three times as
long and midway through it he managed to give himself the credit for the
mission five times just in the three paragraphs excerpted below:
“And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.
Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.
Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”
President Obama couldn’t help but praise himself during the speech:
“ I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority…”
“ I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.”
“I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information…”
“I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action…”
“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound…”
The President said everything except “Today, I went over to
Pakistan and took Bin Laden out.” In my
opinion this is simply more evidence of Mr. Obama’s narcissism and his need to
present himself as superior to others (besides the fact that he wants to be
re-elected in November.) His followers
praise him for Bin Laden’s death claiming Mr. Obama is “the one who got him” –
all the while ignoring the fact that the intelligence used was gained through
policies and practices (including water boarding) set up by the Bush
administration. I didn’t hear any thank
you’s to President Bush for that. But
then – that would mean admitting President Obama isn’t the hero they like to
believe he is.
I personally believe no one loves President Obama quite as much as he does. When he’s not blaming everyone and everything else for the problems in the country he’s patting himself on the back for things that were accomplished during his Presidency, even if he really didn’t have much to do with it. The things Mr. Obama said in his speech may have been true but was it really necessary to praise himself rather than those who actually did the job, as Mr. Bush did? In my humble opinion the main difference between President Obama and President Bush can be summed up in one word – class. Mr. Bush demonstrates his on a regular basis by remaining quiet and out of the spotlight since he left office. He hasn’t once criticized President Obama nor gone public with any comments concerning Obama’s performance, even while being blamed for the problems on a regular basis by the current President, even three years after leaving office. President Obama spends much of his public time whining about all the reasons the country is having problems while never once taking responsibility for any of it. He believes he is above blame, above failure. And he is wrong.
Hopefully, in November, enough Americans will understand Mr.
Obama’s shortcomings and vote him out of office. He had his shot and has proved that he’s not
the right man for the job. The other
candidate might not be the best either but I’m willing to give him a chance to
turn things around. I’m hoping for
change in Washington. I’m tired of hype
and blame.
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