Bush: What mission accomplished? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

JumpinJesus · 10-30-2003, 06:27 PM

Link can be found here

Quote:

WASHINGTON — President Bush tried to distance himself Tuesday from a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished" that hung on an aircraft carrier where he staged a fighter-jet landing May 1. He said the banner was the Navy's idea and a reference to the mission of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended," President Bush declared May 1 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
By J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Military officials agreed that the banner was their idea but said White House aides signed off on it, made it and positioned it prominently behind the spot where Bush made his remarks.

Bush, at a news conference, also said he had never suggested that the war in Iraq was over when he landed on the Abraham Lincoln. Since then, 115 American troops have been killed in action and hundreds more wounded.

"I think you ought to look at my speech," Bush said. "I said Iraq's a dangerous place, got hard work to do, there's still more to be done."

During his remarks on the aircraft carrier as he stood in front of the banner, Bush said, "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended." He went on to say, "We have difficult work to do in Iraq. ... The transition from dictatorship to democracy will take time, but it is worth every effort."

On Tuesday, Bush said the banner was put up by the crewmembers of the Abraham Lincoln to say that their mission was accomplished. "I know it was attributed somehow to some ingenious advance man from my staff — they weren't that ingenious, by the way," Bush said.

Cmdr. Conrad Chun, a Navy spokesman, said the banner was "the ship's idea. The banner signified the successful completion of the Lincoln's deployment."

But Bush's advance staff did have a hand in the banner, said other military officials who asked not to be identified. Personnel aboard the Abraham Lincoln asked the White House to make the banner because there were no art supplies aboard the ship, the officials said. The White House advance team then brought the banner to the ship and positioned it behind Bush.

White House communications director Dan Bartlett confirmed some of those details. "I received a phone call from the ship. They asked if they could have something that recognized that they had accomplished their mission. We agreed and helped develop a banner that reflected that," he said.

The White House communications office, well-known for the care it takes with the backdrops at Bush's speeches, created the "Mission Accomplished" banner in the same style as banners the president uses in other appearances, including one in Canton, Ohio, just a week before the carrier speech. That banner, with the same typeface and soft, brush-stroked American flag in the background, read: "Jobs and Growth."

Bush's remarks Tuesday on the banner drew criticism from Democratic presidential candidates. "Ask our troops in Iraq whether the mission has been accomplished," Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said. "Ask our troops in Iraq whether they'd rather have had a fancy aircraft landing from the president or a responsible postwar plan to keep them safe."

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean said Bush's attempt to "walk away" from hisend-of-combat announcement on the Lincoln did not surprise him.

"Yesterday, the president claimed that the wave of attacks that left dozens dead and scores injured proved that the U.S. was winning the peace in Iraq," Dean said. "Today, we heard him absurdly claiming that the White House was not responsible for the 'Mission Accomplished' banner that decorated the flight deck."

Retired general Wesley Clark called Bush "wrong" and "irresponsible" for backtracking "on his May 1 political photo op."

Does anyone even believe our Commander-in-Chief on this one? The White House made the banner special just for this aircraft carrier? Are they serious?

Superbelt · 10-30-2003, 06:36 PM

Hell no, Rove has shown himself to be a master manipulator. Bush makes no appearances without everything he wears, everything he says, everything around him having a purpose and being calculated as being beneficial.

Hell, they had the aircraft carrier turn around specifically so San Diego wouldn't be in the background because being able to see the city would look bad for him.
That would have looked bad because the reason he gave for doing the viking jet stunt was because it was too far to fly a helicopter out to (at that time they were assuming the Abe Lincoln would be 300 miles out at sea, it turned out to be only 3-5 miles away).

That banner was their idea, and now that it became a political liability, Bush is trying to blame it on the sailors on that ship.

Bush never takes responsibility for anything.

onetime2 · 10-30-2003, 06:40 PM

What a non issue.

Superbelt · 10-30-2003, 06:45 PM

It should be a non issue, and it basically would be if Bush wouldn't be lying about this. That's the funny part, this really doesn't matter to anyone, and is only getting play time because he just won't step up to the plate.

onetime2 · 10-30-2003, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Superbelt
It should be a non issue, and it basically would be if Bush wouldn't be lying about this. That's the funny part, this really doesn't matter to anyone, and is only getting play time because he just won't step up to the plate.

He said his advance people weren't responsible for it and the sailors said that they asked for a banner. Doesn't seem like a lie to me. Seems like people are reading into the meaning of the words and creating controversy over nothing. That's all I have to say on the subject.

Macheath · 10-30-2003, 07:41 PM

Hmm, so I'm guessing that any "time to take out the trash" banners were just reminders to the soldiers on garbage detail.

The_Dude · 10-30-2003, 07:59 PM

another aircraft carrier landing for gwb?? he seems really intent on trying to prove something with all these shows on carriers.

HarmlessRabbit · 10-30-2003, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onetime2
What a non issue.

Geez, it's just the president lying to the american public. Cut the guy a break! After all, when Clinton said "I did not have sex with that woman," and it was technically true, I'm sure onetime2 was telling everyone "Hey, the guy technically told the truth, leave him alone!"

seretogis · 10-30-2003, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by onetime2
He said his advance people weren't responsible for it and the sailors said that they asked for a banner. Doesn't seem like a lie to me. Seems like people are reading into the meaning of the words and creating controversy over nothing. That's all I have to say on the subject.

Exactly. Let's make some more mountains out of ant hills.

onetime2 · 10-31-2003, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit
Geez, it's just the president lying to the american public. Cut the guy a break! After all, when Clinton said "I did not have sex with that woman," and it was technically true, I'm sure onetime2 was telling everyone "Hey, the guy technically told the truth, leave him alone!"

I could care less about him having sex with Monica. Clinton lied to the public constantly, WHERE WAS YOUR OUTRAGE THEN?

Clinton lying under oath, that IS outrageous. Especially since he was supposed to have been a court officer. But that's okay, you go right ahead and believe the two are the same.

splck · 10-31-2003, 07:18 AM

"Mission Accomplished" ...yea..that's it

prb · 10-31-2003, 09:42 AM

Dear Halliburton, KB&R, Bechtel, Science Applications International, et. al.:

Mission Accomplished!

Sincerely,
G.W.B.

Peetster · 11-02-2003, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Dude
another aircraft carrier landing for gwb?? he seems really intent on trying to prove something with all these shows on carriers.

No, they are still talking about the May '03 carrier event.

HarmlessRabbit · 11-02-2003, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by onetime2
Clinton lying under oath, that IS outrageous. Especially since he was supposed to have been a court officer. But that's okay, you go right ahead and believe the two are the same.

Clinton didn't lie. He said "I did not have sex with that woman." He failed to mention that he got a blowjob.

Bush didn't lie. He said that the crew on the ship hung the banner without mentioning that it was a carefully choreographed press event.

The Bush event is only important in the context of a pattern of lies and deceptions to the public about 9/11. Personally, I find his failure to co-operate with the republican led independent committee investigating 9/11 to be far more disturbing that this.

But, if this was Clinton, I'm sure there would be a $20 million investigation and it would be called "CarrierGate" by Limbaugh, et al.

JumpinJesus · 11-02-2003, 08:05 AM

What I'm getting from all of this is that Bush seems to have a pattern of engaging in hastily thought out events with seemingly no one looking at the long-term consequences. Once those consequences come to pass, he distances himself from the event in a manner that says, "yeah, I was there, but it wasn't my idea, I didn't write the speech, and everything was done without my knowledge."

He seems to be a very compulsive person, which isn't a good trait for a leader of a nation.

rogue49 · 11-02-2003, 08:08 AM

Can't we argue about more important stuff?

It's a fuckin' banner, geez.

onetime2 · 11-02-2003, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by HarmlessRabbit
Clinton didn't lie.

Bush didn't lie. He said that the crew on the ship hung the banner without mentioning that it was a carefully choreographed press event.

Clinton didn't lie, please. He was disbarred because of it.

It was obvious that Bush's attendance was choreographed just as any Presidential visit is choreographed.

As far as the "if this was Clinton" argument, no way would there be an investigation of what was meant by a banner. No way it would matter who made it, who had the idea, or anything else because it's only an issue because the Dems are throwing everything they can at him to give them a chance in the next election. There was no law broken (not even slightly bent) and it's a complete non-issue.

JumpinJesus · 11-02-2003, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rogue49
Can't we argue about more important stuff?

It's a fuckin' banner, geez.

While I appreciate your sentiments regarding this issue, I find this fairly important based upon my earlier post. Some may say it is a nonissue, some may say it's only a banner, yet others may say it is indicative of a president incapable of being honest and forthright with the public he was judicially selected to lead.

If you believe that I posted this and am discussing it only because of the banner, then I'm afraid I've miscommunicated my point, which is: President Bush is making of habit of laying blame on others when his actions backfire.

thejoker130 · 11-07-2003, 12:49 PM

So far our imperious leader has made a career out of blaming his mistakes on someone else. Whatever happened to "The buck stops here!"

Conclamo Ludus · 11-07-2003, 01:04 PM

Perhaps he is telling the truth.

10-30-2003, 06:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
onetime2 Junkie Location: NJ	What a non issue. __________________ Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

10-30-2003, 07:59 PM	#7 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	another aircraft carrier landing for gwb?? he seems really intent on trying to prove something with all these shows on carriers. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

10-31-2003, 07:18 AM	#11 (permalink)
splck it's jam Location: Lowerainland BC	"Mission Accomplished" ...yea..that's it __________________ nice line eh?

11-02-2003, 08:05 AM	#15 (permalink)
JumpinJesus Junkie Location: Chicago	What I'm getting from all of this is that Bush seems to have a pattern of engaging in hastily thought out events with seemingly no one looking at the long-term consequences. Once those consequences come to pass, he distances himself from the event in a manner that says, "yeah, I was there, but it wasn't my idea, I didn't write the speech, and everything was done without my knowledge." He seems to be a very compulsive person, which isn't a good trait for a leader of a nation. __________________ "I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

11-07-2003, 12:49 PM	#19 (permalink)
thejoker130 Insane Location: slippery rock university AKA: The left ass cheek of the world	So far our imperious leader has made a career out of blaming his mistakes on someone else. Whatever happened to "The buck stops here!" __________________ WHAT MORE CAN THE HARVEST HOPE FOR IF NOT FOR THE CARE OF THE REAPER MAN? ------------------------------------- I like you. When the world is mine your death will be quick and painless. Last edited by thejoker130; 11-08-2003 at 04:28 PM..

10-30-2003, 06:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
Superbelt This vexes me. I am terribly vexed. Location: Grantville, Pa	Hell no, Rove has shown himself to be a master manipulator. Bush makes no appearances without everything he wears, everything he says, everything around him having a purpose and being calculated as being beneficial. Hell, they had the aircraft carrier turn around specifically so San Diego wouldn't be in the background because being able to see the city would look bad for him. That would have looked bad because the reason he gave for doing the viking jet stunt was because it was too far to fly a helicopter out to (at that time they were assuming the Abe Lincoln would be 300 miles out at sea, it turned out to be only 3-5 miles away). That banner was their idea, and now that it became a political liability, Bush is trying to blame it on the sailors on that ship. Bush never takes responsibility for anything.

10-30-2003, 06:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
Superbelt This vexes me. I am terribly vexed. Location: Grantville, Pa	It should be a non issue, and it basically would be if Bush wouldn't be lying about this. That's the funny part, this really doesn't matter to anyone, and is only getting play time because he just won't step up to the plate.

10-30-2003, 07:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
Macheath Junkie Location: Sydney, Australia	Hmm, so I'm guessing that any "time to take out the trash" banners were just reminders to the soldiers on garbage detail.

10-31-2003, 09:42 AM	#12 (permalink)
prb Psycho	Dear Halliburton, KB&R, Bechtel, Science Applications International, et. al.: Mission Accomplished! Sincerely, G.W.B.

11-02-2003, 08:08 AM	#16 (permalink)
rogue49 Loser	Can't we argue about more important stuff? It's a fuckin' banner, geez.

11-07-2003, 01:04 PM	#20 (permalink)
Conclamo Ludus Modern Man Location: West Michigan	Perhaps he is telling the truth. __________________ Lord, have mercy on my wicked soul I wouldn't mistreat you baby, for my weight in gold. -Son House, Death Letter Blues