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Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Barack Obama leads guests to a toast as he hosts a dinner for members of the U.S. military who served in Iraq in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Feb., 29, 2012.
Joshua Roberts / Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a dinner on Wednesday night.
See images from the U.S. withdraw from Iraq at the end of 2010 and 2011.
AP reports: The president who opposed the Iraq war from its outset thanked those who fought its battles by sitting down to a candlelit meal with a small cross section of the million-plus who served there over the past nine years.
Looking out over a sea of dress uniforms sparkling with medals attesting to years of wartime strife, Obama told the gathering: "In a culture that celebrates fame and fortune, yours are not necessarily household names. You are something more: the patriots who served in our name. And after nearly nine years in Iraq, tonight is an opportunity to express our gratitude and to say once more, welcome home."
Rachel Maddow shares some video from Wednesday night's White House dinner honoring returning Iraq war veterans.
Leave a Comment:
Hail to the Commander in Chief - my and your President Obama!
Thank you Mr. President
You are one of very few that have been in that office never to sweep things under the rug; I am happy you are our President.
Well done Mr President! You have put your heart and mind to your job.
You've accomplished successfully what 'they' only wished for, as 'they' played
games with peoples' minds and kept salivating over the greed of Big Oil.
We, The People, are with you. All the way.
I agree! Thank you BHO for handing over Iraq to Iran.
Salute to the Iraqi war veterans? These corrupt politicians should never have sent them to war under the pretense of WMD in the first place. What about the tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians killed by US bombing, artillery, and gun fire? Who will acknowledge their suffering and sacrifice?
That stately candlelight dinner with all the formal ambience is paid by the taxpayers, many who are struggling to feed and provide for their family after paying hefty taxes to the government. While they gorge themselves. these very same corrupt politicians also handed out a trillion dollars to the WallSt FatCats at taxpayers' expense. In order to protect the WallSt FatCats' investments, these evil politicians tell America's precious sons and daughters to wage wars in distant lands for God and Country.
Tonight, we salute you for protecting America, Liberty, Freedom, and the American way!
What a crock of crap!
The American people have become increasingly gullible and brainwashed by these corrupt politicians' smooth talk -- even to the point of sacrificing their sons and daughters for the benefit of the FatCats.
Yes it was all a bunch of crap and you can blame George Bush for making up the crap and starting his own personal war. There were no WMD found, a war was started and a innocent lives were lost anyway. Blame George Bush and the Republicans who voted him into office.
And while you're at it, blame President Obama for ending the war and trying to make things right because the crappy Republicans wanted to leave the troops there indefinitely for whatever what.
New York wanted nothing to do with a recognition and welcome home event, so meanwhile, Blame the president for trying to do something right for those who managed to survive and come home alive. While you're at it, blame the president for ending the war and bringing the troops home.
It is a shame that our country did not celebrate and honor our troops more for completing their mission. The end of any war is a tremendous event and I feel that it was not given the attention it deserved because the republicans and certain media groups did not want to give President Obama credit during an election year. I thank the troops and the President for ending a horrible war. Great job to them all.
Can you say "election year expediency"? C'mon people...look behind the obvious smoke and mirrors. Yes, the troops deserve our undying gratitude...more than even a "toast" from the Apologizer-in-Chief with a glass of icewater. But please don't forget when you're trashing Bush for WMD's...even Lyin' Bill Clinton said Iraq had them. You do believe ol' BJ Bill don't you? Remember the gassing of the Kurds...how about the giant cannon Saddam was building to drop truck sized shells on Israel? "Nope, we ain't got no stinking WMD's...we shipped them out in the two years leading up to the war"....
I think the fact that so many military voters are now supporting President Obama, when traditionally they've voted Republican, is indicative of the respect and appreciation they have for this president and the superlative job he has done as Commander-in-Chief.
Thanks even though I have changed my support to the Iraq war after the Hollywood style rescue of Jessica Lynch and after the death of Pat Tillman.
It was a good thing for him to do. I do hope that he reconsiders the part of the budget that will increase their medical coverage premiums by up to 300%.
I completely agree with you. Hopefully some of the military in attendance had a chance to at least speak with the POTUS about that issue and among others, that the military is facing for it's future.
Well...let's hope we don't salute the veterans of the IRAN WAR
Because if you pay attention...there will not be so much saluting
China and Russia...they may be preparing for the lack of Iranian oil...they are well lubricated for the battle
STUPID IS...IS STUPID DOES....can't we all get along
I hope...reasonable people will prevail...I think...all is lost from reason
Ummm... Russia is one of the largest petroleum producers on the planet.
Might wanna ask the GOP why they voted against Vets benefits... maybe they only like them while they're cannon fodder.
ya... the same vet's he and his liberal cronies labeled as baby killers....
You're in the wrong war, that was Vietnam.
Starbuck: It is true that we Viet Nam veterans were uniformly branded as "baby killers" by Jande Fonda and by the press, even though I never met a baby killer. However, I, and my comrades-in-arms, killed NVA regulars, not civilians. For your information, several people have also branded Iraq War Veterans "baby killers." It should be the Muslim fanatics, instead, who should be so labelled; after all, it was they who would affix explosives to either themselves and, on occasion, to young childrfen (Boom! and you or the child are instantly transported to Paradise.). I think it has become fashionable to call all American combat GI's "baby killers" now. Thanks a Hell of a lot, Jane Fonda. I know that this is off the subject, but I hope that she and her cronies roast forever in the fires of Hell. After what she allowed to happen to a friend of mine who was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton, she deserves it, or worse.
When I got back to San Francisco, I was personally spit on. I haven't heard of any Iraqi vets having that done, or called baby killers. We have here the 10th Mountain Division, one of the most deployed divisions to date in Afghanisran and Iraq. The civilians here treat them with all the respect dur them.
I knewand trained the last enlisted man to be killed before the final cease fire on 27 jan. 73. John Oneil Rucker.
With Rachel Maddow commentating and giving the high fives to Mr. Obama this story just doesn't ring true. Neither one of them support our troops it is all political. When you cut military troops benefits to the max and then tell them what a great job you are doing it is just blowing smoke. Actions speak louder than words.
He shows nothing but contempt for my men and gives apologies to the bastards
that shot at us… What piece of work
He show contempt by profusely thanking them for their service at a dinner in their honor?
Good thing he didn't actually "salute" (a basic military gesture) because he don't know how!
basic English, he DOESN'T know how.
It's not a wonder why his grammar needs corrected. Oh, Wait. That post sounds like the English that was spoken by a previous Commander in Chief. I wonder and wonder where might they have come from.
Don't makes the point better. College life: You need to take some courses in writing, as well as some in literature. Mark Twain's grammar and useage (a-la Huck Finn) left a lot to be desired by grammar teachers, but his writitngs sure made their points, and made them better than if they had been letter perfect.
Is our children learning?
And he's a muslim/Nazi too right? Go to Hell...
Let's see...how many vets attended, 50...80...100. How about all the others that sacrificed their time and effort for these clowns in Washington.
Sure, let's cram 300,000 soldiers into the dining hall.
It was a representative sample of every branch of the military. It would be impossible to have EVERY service member there. If everyone was invited, they would have to hold the dinner in a football stadium, then you would complain about the cost.
Starbuck: I, for one, am offended that he had the chutzpah to invite any GI to endure his company. This former GI would be totally insulted to have to endure one minute of his company
That's your problem then.
Sorry freddy ole boy.. Looks like there isn't an empty seat in the house.. And,..Looks like they're having quite a time..
While you're sitting home, replaying your "Best of Rush Limbaugh" audio cassette collection.
have fun freddy !!!
K1200RS,
cassette collection, he he, your really going for the jugular on that insult. Calm down, it will be ok... maybe. Everyone in the military would jump at the chance to have dinner at the White house, sure they may not all vote for him (again) but they can still be civil. Remember that "civility" speech Obama gave? I know that the Air Force guys in the audience will use the event as a bullet on there EPR for promotions and awards.... I need to go to bed :( sigh
You are in the minority. Most GIs would be honored to meet the president. I recall a friend of mine that was in the air-force during the Clinton administration. When Clinton to came to town he visited the airforce base. My friend was one of the people who got to stand in the line when he walked down it and shook everyone's hand. As he put it,he did not personally like Clinton or his policies,but he was the President of the United States and commander in chief of the armed forces and he was still proud to have had the opportunity to have shaken the presidents hand and was very pleased to have a picture of the event. I didn't not matter that he did not like Clinton as a politician,he was still the President. I suspect that for many people who do not support Obama the same holds,hes still the President.
Personally,Im very pleased with the job Obama has done,although personally I dont think he went far enough in some things. He,and the Democrats in congress spent a year trying to get bipartisan support for a healthcare bill. They even went so far as to take ideas from Republicans like Mitt Romney and use ideas that Republicans like John McCain had openly supported during their election bids. (John McCain is publicly on record proposing the "individual mandate" and "insurance exchanges" during the 2008 election)
At the end we ended up with a health care bill that the conservatives hate,becuase it was created by the scary black man that sits in the big white house,and liberals are luke warm on becuase it does not go nearly far enough to get everyone healthcare. They should have just done a single payer system and been done with it. The conservatives are so angry about anything he does,even if they thought of it first,that they will NEVER be happy with ANYTHING he does. The Democrats might as well have made their own constituents happy. Still,I applaud the effort at consensus misguided as it was. Hopefully he learned his lesson.
Mitt Romney went so far as to accuse Obama of stealing republican ideas in his state of the union address. Of course I'm sure hes now vehemently opposed to every single one of them. Remember Libya. When the Republicans thought he was not going to intervene,they called him a coward and say he should act. It turned out he was carefully planning to do exactly that,and once he was ready,he acted,in concert with our allies. Then once he had acted,those exact same senators and congressmen complained that he had gotten involved. The very same people that were on record a week before saying he should act then turned around and said he should not have acted.Now he has dinner with vets and the right is angry about him having the "nerve",while if he DIDNT ,they would say hes snubbing the brave men and women that serve our country.
If Obama walked into a restaurant and ordered a ham sandwich, every republican would not only change their order to the turkey,but declare their utter disgust and contempt for all smoked pork products,while talk radio commentators would insist it was just a smokescreen meant to divert attention from his secret muslim religion.
If I was in the restaurant I would want to have a little conversation. Maybe ask a question or two. Find out who he really is if I would be allowed. I would be respectful of him and the Office of President. I would hope we could be honest, thought provoking, and civil.I still may not vote for him..but I might respect him more as a person.
Restaurant? It's the East Room of the White House. But you are right, be respectful.
Nothing but an election-year token. Pahtetic, really disgusting!
Obama is a brilliant politician, don't underestimate him. Then again, with the GOP shelling out winners like McCain and Romney, Obama doesn't have to try very hard. As a side note, I am a conservative....
David, what was your feelings about President BUSH standing on the Flite Deck of the Air Craft Carrier with Mission ACCOMPLISHED banner in the back drop? Was that election Year politics?Was that DISGUSTING to you?What was PATHETIC? The show of THANKS by MR.OBAMA after COMBAT has ended, or the GRANDSTANDING by MR.BUSH before the IRAQ conflict was fully engaged and understood by the AMERICAN people and OUR TROOPS.The Republicans will never give this President respect. I suspect have a HEARTS DESIRE FOR the COUNTRY to fail just for their own personal satisfaction.TEA-PUBLICANS motto PARTY over COUNTRY at all COST,that's DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!VOTE OBAMA/BIDEN 2012- reelect A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS for our FUTURE !!!!!!!
And what about Afghanistan?... What a mess we've gotten into. Playing politics with the lives of young men and women.
hey at least he didn't get flown onto an aircraft carrier and say "we" did it like another potus did,
America stands with you Mr. President and we also SALUTE our Vets!
I love America!
While I appreciate the difficulty of the Presidents job, I think it should be noted that some who are deployed actually post on here to try to give themselves a voice. I think it only appropriate to actually read what they are writing rather than simply collapsing comments because you don't want to believe what they are saying.
Hateful talking points from Faux-News doesn't qualify as something to say.
timing is everything. oh wait it is close to voteing time
So he should tell vets to go F*ck themselves then like the GOP who votes against Veterans benefits every time it comes to a vote huh??? How's that for timing.
It'd be nice if they spent their thank yous by fixing the VA and to do something real with the claim backlog mess they created instead of having fancy dinners that i wasnt invited to.
It'd be nice if they spent their thank yous by fixing the VA and to do something real with the claim backlog mess they created instead of having fancy dinners that i wasnt invited to.
Send a note to Cheney and Bush. They are the ones with the I owe you, not Obama.
so what your sayin is the current administration shoudn't fix the VA because they dont owe us? personally i dont care repub or demo, last POTUS or current POTUS someone needs to fix the VA. It shouldn't matter whos fault it is even thoa we know what/who caused it, it should matter that its still messed up during the current administration.
How do you get "selected" er um, I mean invited to that dinner....?
I support our President, but really even a nice e-mail in my work in-box would have been better than this. Somehow, after 5 deployments since 9/11 (2 of them to OIF) I don't feel that this dinner really addresses the sacrifices I saw in any meaningful way. A small dinner just comes across like trying to put this whole effort to bed quietly. Right, wrong, or indifferent, the Iraq War did occur and this gesture doesn't come close to recognizing the hardships endured and hard work peformed by our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines.
Are your feelings hurt because you didn't get an invite? Don't feel bad, thousands didn't get an invite, including me. I think I was the oldest in my Guard unit in the First Gulf war to be maintaining f-16 aircraft. I was 52 at the time. I'm PROUD to know the 10th Div here. Many of my friends didn't come back.
42 at the time, my memory is getting to old for me
We're happy you're home now.
For the Love of Christ here !!
Are there any teapublicans who can post a thought outside the rather narrow box of right wing squawk radio gibberish??
Anybody ?!?!?!?
Uggggh! Is it november yet?
President Obama
I may disagree with your policies and choices...but this is a class act! Very Presidential! A great tribute to great Americans. Thank you for this moment for our Troops.
Now about the VA...it could use a little help for the rest of the Troops...what about that? I am embarrassed when I encounter a homeless Veteran...and I have helped several off the streets as best I could at the time. We can do better don't you think?
Thanks for hearing me.
God bless the vets and Mr.President but who really gives a @!$%#? I don't and most americans do not either. So we will call it a political grab on your part Mr. President which I do not appreciate.
I am a Democrat and applaud the President for what he does, just not this time.
WHAT A CROCK OF SH/T!!
This was nothing more than a photo op. The troops don't know that they are 'footing the bill.' Here's why:
Little do most here know that Obamas defense budget calls for SHARP INCREASES in what BOTH active AND retirees must pay for Tricare.
Oh, and lets not forget that IF Obama is re-elected, the RIF (reduction in forces) is a GIVEN. That many more untold THOUSANDS to add to our unemployment lines.
Yea... and "Mission Accomplished" wasn't... must be nice wearing those blinders.
What 'mission accomplished?'
Do you think that just because SOME troops are home that means the end of global terrorism?
More like you need to get a dose of reality.
Either way he loses... if he does something nice for vets it's a photo op, if he doesn't he's a tyrant that doesn't care about troops... whatever belief is convenient for you I guess.
Lest
You forgot the "Mission Accomplished" sign on the carrier. Was that just a photo op? We spent another 10 years dying there.
WHAT A CROCK OF SH/T!!
This was nothing more than a photo op. The troops don't know that they are 'footing the bill.'
So you would rather the money go to buy weapons, right? This dinner cost as much as one weapon. Try to get perspective.
Z..you are so party blind its pathetic.
LOOK at the underlying factors I originally posted.
READ Obamas 2012 defense budget and see for yourself.
Its a slap in the face to our military....PERIOD.
The best way to salute them was to bring them home 3 years ago, like he promised. What an opportunistic douche bag.
Twisted
The withdrawal was signed by bush in dec of 08, or did you forget that.
Lest
We reduced the defense budget after WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the first gulf war and we will reduce the budget now too.
They were SB BUT...
After WWII and Korea, the economy wasn't in the tank like it was with 'Nam and now.
AGAIN....READ Obamas 2012 defense budget if you don't believe me.
Adding more to our unemployment rolls (like American Airlines: 15 thousands layoff pending. The US Postal Service: 35 thousand on the chopping block).
Add the tens of THOUSANDS from the military ...COMON, do the math.
Of course the RIF (reduction in forces) won't happen UNTIL hes re-elected.
So you would rather have a welfare military?
Thats what we had after 'Nam...
Jimmy Carter made sure of that.
Our military was cut to the point that they had to apply for food stamps/public assistance.
Obama is Jimmy Carter on crack.
Food stamps? REALLY? I was in from 69 to 89 and my pay was just fine. My retirement check is GREAT too and I can't beat the VA healthcare.