Yesterday, the President gave what the White House called, “a major speech,” and all of the national broadcast networks chose to carry it. Despite the fact that the speech was given at Ft. Bragg, before a military audience, with a manufactured backdrop, and only other Republican partisans present, the media concluded that this was not actually a rally to promote the President’s agenda.

What was the message that qualified this speech as a major event?

Let’s take a look at what he said:

“My greatest responsibility as President is to protect the American people. And that’s your calling, as well. I thank you for your service, your courage and your sacrifice.”
That’s certainly not new. Everyone’s praising the courage and sacrifice of our military. It would be nice if the president exercised his responsibility to protect the American people from global warming, Social Security and pension default, absence of healthcare, and offshoring of jobs.

“The terrorists who attacked us — and the terrorists we face — murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance, and despises all dissent.”
This is just the president condemning the evil of our enemies and falsely linking 9/11 to Iraq. He does that all the time. He also hates freedom (flag burning amendment), rejects tolerance (10 commandments monument), and despises all dissent (expelling dissidents from tax-payer funded public appearances).

“The terrorists believe that free societies are essentially corrupt and decadent…”
He just borrowed this from Focus on the Family and other extremist Christian fundamentalists who describe the U.S. in these terms. Again, nothing newsworthy.

“Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate. Hear the words of Osama Bin Laden: “This Third World War is raging” in Iraq. “The whole world is watching this war.” He says it will end in “victory and glory, or misery and humiliation.”
It might be considered news that the President is adopting Osama Bin Laden’s view of geo-political conflict, but Bin Laden is not being particularly original here either. He’s merely saying that the war that Bush started is going to be won or lost, and that will be either good or bad, depending on where you stand.

Here’s the part that the President himself considers newsworthy:
“To further prepare Iraqi forces to fight the enemy on their own, we are taking three new steps:”

First, we are partnering coalition units with Iraqi units…Second, we are embedding coalition “transition teams” inside Iraqi units…Third, we’re working with the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defense to improve their capabilities to coordinate anti-terrorist operations.
If these are indeed new steps, we are in bigger trouble than I thought. These ought to have been steps taken the day after he declared “Mission Accomplished” from the deck of the aircraft carrier. In fact, the administration has been telling us for months that they have been working hard to get Iraqis ready to take on their own security. What’s newsworthy here is the incompetence and neglect of this president and his team who now announce these as new measures.

“…they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction. And there is no limit to the innocent lives they are willing to take.”
There is also no limit to the hypocracy of an administration that is reponsible for the deaths of up to 100,000 innocent Iraqis, many times more that the insurgency can, or ever will, be able to claim.

“In this time of testing, our troops can know: The American people are behind you.”
Except the liberals who, according to Karl Rove, want to put, “…America’s men and women in uniform in greater danger.”

The substance of this speech offered nothing even remotely newsworthy. The President told us that our military is good and that our enemies are bad. He told us that we can beat up any kid on the block because we’re #1. He repeated the lies connecting Iraq with 9/11. What he didn’t do is provide any coherent explanation for why we are there to a populace that now believes going there was a mistake. He didn’t provide any details on what our goals are or how we recognize success. He left us exactly where we were before the speech: In an open-ended, directionless, adventure in imperialism.

It could not be more obvious that the whole of this speech had a single purpose: To prop up the President as the public’s support for his illegal war plummets and takes down his approval ratings as well. But, sadly, it does need to be more obvious to the national media who scurried to preempt regular programming so that this PR puff piece could be broadcast live. The media has again reinforced its reputation as stenographers to power. They’ve shown neither journalistic discretion nor integrity as they seek only to promote the elites of the leadership and corporatist classes. In their role as flacks for the president, they have proven, once more, that the media is dead.

For those who think the President has raised prevarication (that means disassembling) to new heights, today we were witness to a lesson from the President’s Guru.

Karl Rove, in a speech to the Conservative Party of New York State, showed what it takes to make a truly repulsive ass of oneself. With the quote featured here, Rove manages to insult all Americans, including the survivors and families of 9/11, yet still demonstrate how much he and his ilk value ignorance.

First, the record should be clear that all Americans were equally outraged and determined to seek justice for the attacks on 9/11. Rove’s remarks are entirely without foundation and were made deliberatly to create a division within our nation. Adding this rhetorical fuel the divisiveness that already burdens our citizens makes it that much more difficult to resolve the problems we face domestically and internationally, including the war on terrorism. It is a kind of treason that seeks to divide, in order to secure a purely political conquest at the expense of our soldiers, families, and global reputation.

Second, putting aside the nausia-inducing insult, the substance of his comments are nothing short of numbingly stupid. They reek of a schoolyard bullyism that seeks only a heated revenge. A lashing out blindly without really caring what you hit. Understanding an enemy does not mean embracing them in a warm and comforting hug. It is a necessity in order to outflank, outsmart, and, ultimately, prevail over them. Understanding an enemy is as aggressive an act as bombing them, and it makes all the other aggressive actions you undertake more effective. Understanding an enemy is the core mission of intelligence gathering.

This administration has proven, once again, that intelligence is not its strong suit. But this time they did it by disparaging a broad swath of America’s populace. This time they demonstrated conclusively that they care more about partisanship than unity. This time Rove goes beyond impugning the motives of his political opponents:

This is his clear statement that he believes the motives of liberals are to put “America’s men and women in uniform in greater danger.” No more needs to be said about the motives of Karl Rove.

The past week saw a virtual firestorm from the press as it fluttered excitedly about Senator Durbin for having, accurately, recounted FBI reports of torture being inflicted by interragators at Guantanamo. Will the press apply the same standard to the White House? I wish I could say I was optimistic, but…..oh, come on.

In a speech before the Radio-Television News Directors Association, the President displayed more of the insightful wisdom that has become a hallmark of his administration. The media professionals that comprised the audience held the President to the same standards they employ when shilling for him at their day jobs. So sit back, put on your thinking caps, and get ready to absorb some topical ruminations of wondorous depth.

On Deep Throat
I really haven’t digested it. I frankly was taken aback…I frankly haven’t that much time to reflect on it. I don’t know enough about the FBI guy. I don’t know what he’s done, and what he didn’t do.

On Federal Shield Law for Reporters
Don’t know enough about the law… I don’t know what the right balance is. On the other hand, I don’t know what the law says, so I can’t tell you if I’m for it or against it.

On Press Relations
I have done enough East Room press conferences; I kind of write that off for people wanting to show off for folks at home. Want a little more exposure, with the right color tie when they get up there. I would characterize my relationship with the press as good. Not hostile in the least bit.

On Iraq War Troops
The hardest thing I have to do is sit down as the President with loved ones who’ve either lost a soul or have a wounded person, severely wounded. I try to do a lot of it. It’s my obligation as the President. It’s an amazing experience. First of all, I’m a crier, and I weep a lot. On the other hand, when it’s all over, I feel incredibly strengthened by the strength of the parents or the wife or the kids.

On Social Security
This is such an important issue we get right. And I will stay on it. And frankly, I’ve got enough of my mother in me to enjoy it. Enjoy the battle.

Personal Concerns
I’d say I’d spend most of my time worrying about right now people losing their life in Iraq. Both Americans and Iraqis. I worry about my girls. I used to worry about my wife, until she hit an 85% popularity figure. Now she’s worried about me….I’m sleeping pretty good. Seriously. I get asked that. There’s times when I hadn’t been. I’ve got peace of mind. Thanks.

On The First Amendment
I’m a First Amendment guy. Anyone running for President is a First Amendment person. You gotta honor that. How can you not be a First Amendment guy? I was out there raising heck as a challenger.

Inspiring, isn’t it?