President Bush Speech

[THE KOD]

Return on Success

Well looks like we can start withdrawing troops.

5 k before Dec. A brigade before next summer.

Lets face it, Bush has no chance to pull our troops out of Iraq untill well after he is out of office.

The Democrats may say all troops have to come home but if they get in office, They will quickly change their tune and see that it is impossible not to maintain a long term presence there. They just do not want to be responsible. They would much rather have Bush have to swallow what will happen if we pull out now.

We are going to pour 600 billion into this war and then walk out and let whoever is the best killers take over. And take over the oil in Iraq.

I dont think so.

Korea comes to mind. We have been there for over half a century . Kosar was there for christs sake. Maybe what we can hope for is our troops will at least stop being killed in a few years.

When I watched Giulani after the speech , I noticed his eyes open so wide and then he returns them to normal . Its kinda weird.

Edwards is just not with it to me. John McCain does not stand a chance to be elected.

what to do , what to do/.

 

[djv]

Bush's story same thing, different page. SO Dam SAD.

 

[Blitz]

edit....

 

[kosar]

Blitz,

That's quite funny.

Please fill us in on how/when/where you served our country.

Better yet, don't be one of these guys that never would ever show up at any madjacks function, like sponge or BTJ never would, but still cracks himself up with stuff like this.

I laugh at that picture just like you, just part of the fun for sure, but I have little respect for pukes like you that would never show your face and let every one of your 'moves' be dissected.

Somehow, I don't think anybody will ever meet you.

Have fun with it, bro. :SIB

 

[smurphy]

Kosar, will you please tell us a story about Korea? What was it like? Was it like the movies? Was every girl there awesome at golf?

:0corn :0corn :0corn

 

[Blitz]

I apologize my friend, didn't mean to offend you, was just trying to be humorous...

Thank You for your service to our great country...

 

[The Judge]

I am sad to say that after watching our President's speech, for the first time in my life I was embarrased to be an American.

 

[Chadman]

I didn't see the speech, nor have I read anything about it. What I need to know is, do I have a new sigline after it? :shrug:

 

[AR182]

I am sad to say that after watching our President's speech, for the first time in my life I was embarrased to be an American.

come on judge....i saw it yesterday also, he wasn't that bad....

some of you guys get very over-dramatic....:142smilie

 

[djv]

Reason I think it was sad. We added 29000 troops. There sending 22000 home. That's over 6 months. Net gain 7000. Same story nothing changed. We should be on the way down from original 135000 to 100000. But our friends in Iraq government still after 2 years have not made there bench marks. And the 60 %% of that government want us out. Hello. Has nothng to do with this your not American if you want our guys out. In fact you may be more American wanting whats right for our troops.

 

[The Judge]

come on judge....i saw it yesterday also, he wasn't that bad....

some of you guys get very over-dramatic....:142smilie

Al, my comment was based not on how delivered his message but what he had to say.

The President said he would order a withdrawal of American troops beginning with 2,200 Marines already scheduled to leave Iraq this month. The numbers would rise to 5,500 by Christmas and more than 20,000 could be home by next summer, but that would still leave more than 130,000 Americans in the country during the stretch run of the 2008 presidential campaign. As Senator Clinton said, ?What the president told the American people tonight is that one year from now, there will be the same number of troops in Iraq as there were one year ago. That is simply too little too late, and unacceptable to this Congress and the American people who have made clear their strong desire to bring our brave troops home.?

I agree with Senator Reed when he said that Bush had provided for the "indefinite'' mission of 130,000 Americans, but did not provide "either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it."

After five years of this failed policy, the war has so far killed 3,777 Americans, wounded more than 27,000 and killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and we have seen precious little progress and the progress that has been made was grossly exagerated in Bush's speech.

Bush said he believed the way forward he was describing made it possible "for the first time in years'' for people on the opposite side of the war to come together. If Bush truly believes this, he is more delusional than I had thought.

 

[smurphy]

By stating these withdrawal numbers, isn't Bush creating a dreaded "timeline"? Is that not providing aid and comfort to the enemy?

 

[THE KOD]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hungry attendees at Justice Department conferences have been enjoying millions of dollars in meatballs and other goodies courtesy of U.S. taxpayers, according to an inspector general's report released Friday.


The Justice Department paid more than $13,000 for cookies at conferences, says a report released Friday.

The report cited $5 meatballs and cans of soft drinks each costing $4.55 among reasons 10 conferences during 2005 and 2006 cost nearly $7 million.

One four-day conference of 1,500 people in Los Angeles cost the Justice Department $394,000 in August 2005.

"Overall this conference's daily food expense averaged $64 per registrant, which exceeded the approved federal per diem rate of $51 for meals," the report said.

The 128-page report does not suggest laws were broken, although it questions the Justice Department's judgment when it comes to the cost of its events.

In addition to the platters of Swedish meatballs and soda pop, the Justice Department paid more than $13,000 for cookies, according to the inspector general's office.

A Senate committee requested the report on Justice Department conferences, which, in fiscal year 2006, cost taxpayers nearly $46 million, including travel, programming, food and associated costs. Year to year costs show such meetings have totaled from $33.8 million in 2001 to a high of $58 million in 2004.

The 2005 Los Angeles event -- which was called the "Weed and Seed" national conference -- attracted particular attention from the audit's authors.

It "included a $53 per person two-entree and dessert lunch for 120 attendees, a one-hour $64,000 'Stars and Stripes' themed networking reception and a post-conference meeting for 30 DOJ employees who were provided a sandwich buffet lunch at a cost of $44 per person and an 'At the Movies' theme snack (candy, popcorn, and soft drinks) for an additional $25 per person," the report said.

The report, from the Office of Inspector General, Glenn Fine, expressed concern that most of the conference attendees failed to deduct their allowable per diem meal costs because they received free meals.

"When component managers do not systematically review vouchers to ensure that such deductions are made, the government effectively pays for the meals twice," the report said.

Another meeting detailed in the report was a 2006 COPS National Conference in Washington. Some 1,100 attendees were offered daily breakfast buffets, two lunches, a networking reception, and two "themed breaks."

"The networking reception itself cost more than $60,000 and included a chef-carved roast beef and turkey, a penne pasta station, and platters of Swedish meatballs at a cost of nearly $5 per meatball," the report said. "The average food and beverage cost per day for the COPS conference was $83 per attendee -- $19 dollars over the $64 federal per diem meal rate for Washington."

Among the report's recommendations: Planners should compare costs in multiple sites in multiple cities unless there is a special reason a meeting needs to be held in a particular city.

The report also called for developing conference food and beverage policies "to ensure adequate justification of significant food and beverage costs."

The Justice Department said it agreed with the recommendations.
.......................................................


and in the meantime :

The Judge is eating meatballs and cookies costing the taxpayers millions.

Maybe things arent so bad after all huh Judge

 

[THE KOD]

Bush said he believed the way forward he was describing made it possible "for the first time in years'' for people on the opposite side of the war to come together. If Bush truly believes this, he is more delusional than I had thought.

..................................................................


If that is the exact quote of what Bush said,

I dont even understand wtf he is talking about. It makes not sense.

What we have to do as Americans is to recognize that the problems do not just land on Bushs doorstep.

The problem is with our goverment as a whole. How many articles in the past year have I posted with some kind of criminal activity with our Senators , Congressman, Mayors..... etc etc.

This root runs deep.

 

[THE KOD]

and who is selling the 5 dollar meatballs

and the 5 buck cokes that sell for a buck anywhere else .

Is it the brothers, sisters, brother in laws ?

why doesnt the inspector generals up there follow that money .

I think I agree with you The Judge and it is becoming harder and harder not to be embarressed to be a American.

 

[Roger Baltrey]

S Murhphy,

My question is "who is the enemy?" There is no enemy per se. This is 2-3 factions fighting over thier own country and we are the referees. Why should I spend my tax dollars refereeing a civil war. And it's not Al Queda They werent' there befoe the war. This is Sunnis vs. Shiites and both sides will hate each others guts no matter what the US does. Bush is an ignorant military strategist and had no idea what he was getting himself into .

 

[smurphy]

S Murhphy,

My question is "who is the enemy?" There is no enemy per se. This is 2-3 factions fighting over thier own country and we are the referees. Why should I spend my tax dollars refereeing a civil war. And it's not Al Queda They werent' there befoe the war. This is Sunnis vs. Shiites and both sides will hate each others guts no matter what the US does. Bush is an ignorant military strategist and had no idea what he was getting himself into .

yeah - doesn't seem to make sense, does it?

 

[Blitz]

 

[AR182]

Al, my comment was based not on how delivered his message but what he had to say.

The President said he would order a withdrawal of American troops beginning with 2,200 Marines already scheduled to leave Iraq this month. The numbers would rise to 5,500 by Christmas and more than 20,000 could be home by next summer, but that would still leave more than 130,000 Americans in the country during the stretch run of the 2008 presidential campaign. As Senator Clinton said, ?What the president told the American people tonight is that one year from now, there will be the same number of troops in Iraq as there were one year ago. That is simply too little too late, and unacceptable to this Congress and the American people who have made clear their strong desire to bring our brave troops home.?

I agree with Senator Reed when he said that Bush had provided for the "indefinite'' mission of 130,000 Americans, but did not provide "either a plan to successfully end the war or a convincing rationale to continue it."

After five years of this failed policy, the war has so far killed 3,777 Americans, wounded more than 27,000 and killed tens of thousands of Iraqis and we have seen precious little progress and the progress that has been made was grossly exagerated in Bush's speech.

Bush said he believed the way forward he was describing made it possible "for the first time in years'' for people on the opposite side of the war to come together. If Bush truly believes this, he is more delusional than I had thought.

okay...you disagree with his strategy (so do i) but to say that you are embarrassed to be an american is a little dramatic imo...but that's yours & other's right...

i'm of the philosophy that only you can embarrass yourself...nobody else...

 

[kosar]

Blitz,

It's no problem at all, man. But no, you didn't 'offend' me. Any pictures of me from that golf outing or any other MJ outing that have been posted were cleared by me to be posted.

I can laugh at myself with the best of them, and I do, but it just seems that the people that never show up anywhere tend to be the ones that thrive on that stuff. And the people that actually show up don't really care.

Anyways, it's all good, bro. :toast: