CRAIGforCONGRESS
Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of Representatives

 

 

 

Bringing LIBERTY to Capitol Hill -- 2008
OZARKS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
Saturday Morning, September 13, 2008, 10:30am

A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning Radio Address

Click here to listen to a replay of the September 13, 2008 Ozarks Virtual Town Hall
(We had technical problems at the very end of the broadcast, leaving a short gap in the recording.)

Notes and Summary of the President's Address:
9-11, "National Greatness," and National Service

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, Americans marked seven years since the terrorist attacks that shook our Nation on September 11, 2001. On that day, we witnessed unspeakable destruction perpetrated by evil men.     (continued below)

How the President Differs from the American vision of "Liberty Under God":

  • America was founded on the philosophy of "Liberty Under God."
    • "Liberty" means freedom from government suppression of ideas and confiscation of wealth
    • "Under God" means we have a personal responsibility to love God and neighbor.
    • Human beings are endowed with the right to property by God, not the government.
  • Spending $3 trillion and killing a million people in Iraq does not move us closer to "Liberty Under God."
  • Spending $3 trillion and killing a million people in Iraq does not move us closer to the ideal of everyone living safely under his own "vine & fig tree."
  • If the federal government did not undertake the task of overthrowing Saddam Hussein, destroying hundreds of billions of dollars of Iraqi infrastructure and killing hundreds of thousands of people, and replacing the secular Baathist government with an Islamic theocracy, would Americans still be as free as they are today? No. More free.
  • Nothing in the President's Agenda reduces socialism and promotes Free Markets.
  • The President has forgotten the limits placed on his authority by the Constitution. He does not have the Constitutional authority to spend
  • The President has forgotten the promises made by the Republican Party Platform when he was elected.
  • The United States government was founded on a policy of non-intervention in foreign affairs:
    • "The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible."

    — Washington, Farewell Address (1796) [Washington’s emphasis]
    I deem [one of] the essential principles of our government, and consequently [one] which ought to shape its administration,…peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.

    — Jefferson, First Inaugural Address (1801)
  • This policy would preclude U.S. intervention in the Middle-East.
  • "Democracy" was not a goal of America's Founding Fathers. Bush's attempt to bring "democracy" to Iraq only brings tyranny.
  • No war in American history has been good for the ideal of "Liberty Under God." None of them should have been fought. Those who died, died in vain.

President Bush's
Saturday Morning Radio Address

Another Perspective:
"Liberty Under God"
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week, Americans marked seven years since the terrorist attacks that shook our Nation on September 11, 2001. On that day, we witnessed unspeakable destruction perpetrated by evil men. But we also witnessed selfless acts of valor and compassion performed by courageous citizens. And we saw the strength of the American people as they rallied in defense of the Nation.
Have all the "evil men" yet been identified?
• Who ordered FBI field agents to back off pursuit of the hijackers?
• Who failed to scramble jets to intercept the hijacked planes?
• Why did Bush and Cheney strongly resist a 9-11 Commission to investigate government failures? If you had been the victim of a crime, wouldn't you want an investigation? Wouldn't you want to know that your protection agency had learned lessons that would prevent a repeat of the crime?

America was undefended on 9-11. The "Defense Department" did not defend us. Was anyone fired? Who is responsible for this malfeasance?

The Final Victim of 9/11: the Myth of Government Competence by James Ostrowski
On Thursday, I dedicated a new 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. In the years to come, parents will visit this site to remember children who boarded Flight 77 for a field trip, and never emerged from the wreckage. Husbands and wives will visit the memorial to remember spouses who left for work one morning, and never returned home. And people from across our Nation will visit to remember the heroism of rescue workers who rushed into the burning Pentagon to save the lives of their fellow citizens. Would Bush be praising the rescue workers as much as he does if they were not government employees?
Seven years after the attacks of 9/11, this spirit of heroism lives on. We see it in the courageous members of the United States Armed Forces. These brave men and women have volunteered to defend our Nation during a time of war. Every day, they are confronting our enemies abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And because of their efforts, our Nation is safer today than it was seven years ago. America was once the most admired nation on earth. Today, America is Despised. More terrorists want to attack America today than before the two Bush Presidents.
In Afghanistan, where the 9/11 attacks were planned, our men and women in uniform toppled the Taliban regime, destroyed al Qaeda camps, and liberated more than 25 million Afghans. In the years since, members of the Taliban and al Qaeda have sought to regain power through acts of terror. The United States and our allies are meeting this challenge head on. We will not allow Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for terror. There is strong evidence that the attacks were planned and funded by Pakistan.

The FBI has no evidence linking Usama Bin Laden to 9-11.
Earlier this week, I announced additional American troop deployments to Afghanistan. In November, a Marine battalion that was scheduled to deploy to Iraq will deploy to Afghanistan instead. It will be followed in January by an Army combat brigade. This continuing commitment to the Afghan people illustrates a stark contrast: While the terrorists and extremists deliberately target and murder the innocent, coalition and Afghan forces risk their lives to protect the innocent.
The U.S. is not just hunting down individual 9-11 terrorists to bring them to trial.
The U.S. is taking over these nations to manage them in a way that serves U.S./corporate interests.
America is also on the offense against terrorists and extremists in Iraq. Since we launched the surge last year, violence has fallen to its lowest point since the spring of 2004. While the enemy in Iraq is still dangerous, we seized the offensive, and Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of leading and winning the fight. As a result, we've been able to carry out a policy of "return on success" -- reducing the number of American combat forces in Iraq as conditions on the ground there continue to improve. American military involvement in Iraq began before 9-11.

Kuwait - For whom did these Iraqi children die?

If Americans had been asked in advance, Americans would have declined to become militarily involved in Iraq.
After reviewing conditions in Iraq, General Petraeus and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have recommended additional force reductions. By February, about 8,000 additional American troops will have returned home without replacement. And if this progress in Iraq continues to hold, General Petraeus and our military leaders believe additional reductions will be possible in the first half of 2009. "Reductions" means nothing. The U.S. intends to be in Iraq permanently.
In the seven years since the attacks of September the 11th, the men and women of our Armed Forces and their wonderful families have been a source of pride for the Nation. Those who do not wear the uniform also have a responsibility to serve our country. After 9/11, I called on Americans to devote at least 4,000 hours -- or two years over the course of a lifetime -- to volunteering in their communities. This morning, I renew that call. Serving others is more than just a generous act -- it is essential to the health of our society. And as any volunteer can tell you, when you bring hope to the lives of others, the life you enrich most is usually your own.  

"our country" -- is it our responsibility to serve other Americans, or to serve the government?

By "society" does Bush mean America, or the federal government?
Thank you for listening.  

Kevin Craig's Platform: