THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Thank you, President Sarkozy, Prime Minister Brown, Prime Minister Harper, and Prince Charles for being here today. Thank you to our Secretary of Veterans Affairs, General Eric Shinseki, for making the trip out here to join us. Thanks also to Susan Eisenhower, whose grandfather began this mission 65 years ago with a simple charge: “Ok, let’s go.” And to a World War II veteran who returned home from this war to serve a proud and distinguished career as a United States Senator and a national leader: Bob Dole. (Applause.)
I’m not the first American President to come and mark this anniversary, and I likely will not be the last. This is an event that has long brought to this coast both heads of state and grateful citizens; veterans and their loved ones; the liberated and their liberators. It’s been written about and spoken of and depicted in countless books and films and speeches. And long after our time on this Earth has passed, one word will still bring forth the pride and awe of men and women who will never meet the heroes who sit before us: D-Day.
Why is this? Of all the battles in all the wars across the span of human history, why does this day hold such a revered place in our memory? What is it about the struggle that took place on the sands a few short steps from here that brings us back to remember year after year after year?
Thank you, Admiral Mullen, for that generous introduction and for your sterling service to our country. To members of our armed forces, to our veterans, to honored guests, and families of the fallen — I am deeply honored to be with you on Memorial Day.
Thank you to the superintendent, John Metzler, Jr., who cares for these grounds just as his father did before him; to the Third Infantry Regiment who, regardless of weather or hour, guard the sanctity of this hallowed ground with the reverence it deserves — we are grateful to you; to service members from every branch of the military who, each Memorial Day, place an American flag before every single stone in this cemetery — we thank you as well. We are indebted — we are indebted to all who tend to this sacred place.
Here lie Presidents and privates; Supreme Court justices and slaves; generals familiar to history, and unknown soldiers known only to God.
A few moments ago, I laid a wreath at their tomb to pay tribute to all who have given their lives for this country. As a nation, we have gathered here to repeat this ritual in moments of peace, when we pay our respects to the fallen and give thanks for their sacrifice. And we’ve gathered here in moments of war, when the somber notes of Taps echo through the trees, and fresh grief lingers in the air.
Today is one of those moments, where we pay tribute to those who forged our history, but hold closely the memory of those so recently lost. And even as we gather here this morning, all across America, people are pausing to remember, to mourn, and to pray.
Old soldiers are pulling themselves a little straighter to salute brothers lost a long time ago. Children are running their fingers over colorful ribbons that they know signify something of great consequence, even if they don’t know exactly why. Mothers are re-reading final letters home and clutching photos of smiling sons or daughters, as youthful and vibrant as they always will be.
They, and we, are the legacies of an unbroken chain of proud men and women who served their country with honor; who waged war so that we might know peace; who braved hardship so that we might know opportunity; who paid the ultimate price so we might know freedom.
Those who rest in these fields fought in every American war. They overthrew an empire and gave birth to revolution. They strained to hold a young union together. They rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny, and stood post through a long twilight struggle. And they took on the terror and extremism that threatens our world’s stability.
Their stories are the American story. More than seven generations of them are chronicled here at Arlington. They’re etched into stone, recounted by family and friends, and silently observed by the mighty oaks that have stood over burial after burial.
To walk these grounds then is to walk through that history. Not far from here, appropriately just across a bridge connecting Lincoln to Lee, Union and Confederate soldiers share the same land in perpetuity.
Just down the sweeping hill behind me rest those we lost in World War II, fresh-faced GIs who rose to the moment by unleashing a fury that saved the world. Next week, I’ll visit Normandy, the place where our fate hung on an operation unlike any ever attempted, where it will be my tremendous honor to address some of the brave men who stormed those beaches 65 years ago.
And tucked in a quiet corner to our north are thousands of those we lost in Vietnam. We know for many the casualties of that war endure — right now, there are veterans suffering and families tracing their fingers over black granite not two miles from here. They are why we pledge anew to remember their service and revere their sacrifice, and honor them as they deserve.
This cemetery is in and of itself a testament to the price our nation has paid for freedom. A quarter of a million marble headstones dot these rolling hills in perfect military order, worthy of the dignity of those who rest here. It can seem overwhelming. But for the families of the fallen, just one stone stands out — one stone that requires no map to find.
Today, some of those stones are found at the bottom of this hill in Section 60, where the fallen from Iraq and Afghanistan rest. The wounds of war are fresh in Section 60. A steady stream of visitors leaves reminders of life: photos, teddy bears, favorite magazines. Friends place small stones as a sign they stopped by. Combat units leave bottles of beer or stamp cigarettes into the ground as a salute to those they rode in battle with. Perfect strangers visit in their free time, compelled to tend to these heroes, to leave flowers, to read poetry — to make sure they don’t get lonely.
If the fallen could speak to us, what would they say? Would they console us? Perhaps they might say that while they could not know they’d be called upon to storm a beach through a hail of gunfire, they were willing to give up everything for the defense of our freedom; that while they could not know they’d be called upon to jump into the mountains of Afghanistan and seek an elusive enemy, they were willing to sacrifice all for their country; that while they couldn’t possibly know they would be called to leave this world for another, they were willing to take that chance to save the lives of their brothers and sisters in arms.
What is thing, this sense of duty? What tugs at a person until he or she says “Send me”? Why, in an age when so many have acted only in pursuit of the narrowest self-interest, have the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines of this generation volunteered all that they have on behalf of others? Why have they been willing to bear the heaviest burden?
Whatever it is, they felt some tug; they answered a call; they said “I’ll go.” That is why they are the best of America, and that is what separates them from those of us who have not served in uniform — their extraordinary willingness to risk their lives for people they never met.
My grandfather served in Patton’s Army in World War II. But I cannot know what it is like to walk into battle. I’m the father of two young girls — but I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a child. These are things I cannot know. But I do know this: I am humbled to be the Commander-in-Chief of the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
I know that there is nothing I will not do to keep our country safe, even as I face no harder decision than sending our men and women to war — and no moment more difficult than writing a letter to the families of the fallen. And that’s why as long as I am President, I will only send our troops into harm’s way when it is absolutely necessary, and I will always provide them with the equipment and support they need to get the job done.
I know that military families sacrifice more than we can understand, and feel an absence greater than we can comprehend. And that’s why Michelle and I are committed to easing their burden.
And I know what a grateful nation owes to those who serve under its proud flag. And that’s why I promise all our servicemen and women that when the guns fall silent, and you do return home, it will be to an America that is forever here for you, just as you’ve been there for us.
With each death, we are heartbroken. With each death, we grow more determined. This bustling graveyard can be a restless place for the living, where solace sometimes comes only from meeting others who know similar grief. But it reminds us all the meaning of valor; it reminds us all of our own obligations to one another; it recounts that most precious aspect of our history, and tells us that we will only rise or fall together.
So on this day of silent remembrance and solemn prayer I ask all Americans, wherever you are, whoever you’re with, whatever you’re doing, to pause in national unity at 3:00 this afternoon. I ask you to ring a bell, or offer a prayer, say a silent “thank you.” And commit to give something back to this nation — something lasting — in their memory; to affirm in our own lives and advance around the world those enduring ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity for which they and so many generations of Americans have given that last full measure of devotion.
God bless you, God bless the fallen, and God bless the United States of America.
Robert Gates served George W. Bush as Secretary of Defense and now serves President Barack Obama in the same capacity. He has famously said that President Obama is ‘more analytical’ than Mr. Bush. He appeared on NBC’s Today Show this morning. Matt Lauer interviewed him about, among other things, the closing of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It was a very interesting and enlightening interview…
WASHINGTON – Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Obama administration had no choice but to order the shutdown of the prison at Guantanamo because “the name itself is a condemnation” of U.S. anti-terrorism strategy.
In an interview broadcast Friday on NBC’s “Today” show, Gates called the facility on the island of Cuba is “probably one of the finest prisons in the world today.” But at the same time, he said it had become “a taint” on the reputation of America.
Gates has served both President George W. Bush and now Barack Obama at the Pentagon. In an interview taped Thursday aboard the retired World War II-era battleship USS Intrepid, the defense secretary said that once the decision was made to close Guantanamo, “the question is, where do you put them?” He said Obama would do nothing to endanger the public and said there has never been an escape from a “super-max” prison in this country.
Of criticism the president’s plan would jeopardize people’s safety, Gates said: “I think that one of the points … was that he had no interest whatsoever in releasing publicly detainees who might come back to harm Americans.”
Gates said that “we have many terrorists in United States’ prisons today,” and he decried “fear-mongering about this.”
Do you recall this post from a couple of days ago? Read it if you haven’t. I’ll wait.
Our Senate Democrats would do well to read it also. Today they became practically indistinguishable from their fear-mongering Republican counterparts. Here’s part of a press conference held by Majority Leader Harry Reid:
REID: I’m saying that the United States Senate, Democrats and Republicans, do not want terrorists to be released in the United States. That’s very clear.
QUESTION: No one’s talking about releasing them. We’re talking about putting them in prison somewhere in the United States.
REID: Can’t put them in prison unless you release them.
QUESTION: Sir, are you going to clarify that a little bit? …
REID: I can’t make it any more clear than the statement I have given to you. We will never allow terrorists to be released in the United States. [...]
QUESTION: But Senator, Senator, it’s not that you’re not being clear when you say you don’t want them released. But could you say — would you be all right with them being transferred to an American prison?
REID: Not in the United States.
It’s all kind of baffling, isn’t it? Now we have Democrats thinking like Republicans. We’re in a boatload of trouble here, folks. Somebody needs to test the water in the Capitol building. Pronto. We held an election about this. Remember?
“Can’t put them in prison unless you release them.” What?!
If there is one thing we Americans have proven ourselves fairly adept at, it’s building prisons and keeping folks in them.
President Barack Obama is delivering the commencement address at Notre Dame University this afternoon. Here (courtesy of FOX News and Notre Dame TV) is video of his entrance. Notre Dame did herself proud:
I’ll post video and the transcript of his address as soon as they become available. In the meantime, a good way to spend part of your Sunday afternoon is to watch the First Lady’s commencement address at the University of California, Merced that she delivered a couple of days ago (if you haven’t seen it yet).
Here’s the video (in three parts). The transcript follows the break.
I will have to confess that this one caught me by surprise, but yet it does kind of make sense. Take one of the sensible, moderate Republicans who could maybe lead that party back to reality and ship him off to China leaving Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner, Newt Gingrich, Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Haley Barbour, Mitt Romney and their like here to complete the destruction of the Party of No.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama reached across the political divide Saturday and named Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a possible GOP White House contender and top John McCain supporter, to the sensitive diplomatic post of U.S. ambassador to China.
With the selection, Obama may have sidelined a potentially formidable moderate Republican from the 2012 presidential field. For Huntsman, it’s a chance to burnish his credentials and position himself as a viable hopeful -- perhaps for 2016 if Obama is seen as a strong candidate for a second term in 2012.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese from his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan, the 49-year-old Huntsman is a popular two-term governor who served in both Bush administrations and was national co-chairman of Arizona Sen. McCain’s campaign against Obama last year. Huntsman has made a name for himself advocating a moderate agenda in one of the nation’s most conservative states.
With Huntsman at his side, Obama said in brief remarks in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room that he made the appointment “mindful of its extraordinary significance. Given the breadth of issues at stake in our relationship with China, this ambassadorship is as important as any in the world because the United States will best be able to deal effectively with global challenges in the 21st century by working in concert with China.”
Huntsman recently made headlines for encouraging his party to swing in a more moderate direction if it wants to bounce back from the 2008 elections, angering some conservatives.
I hope Judd Gregg had his ears on when Governor Huntsman said: “When the president of the United States asks you to step up and serve in a capacity like this, that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation to rise to the challenge.” Were you listening, Secretary Senator Gregg? (Oh, and your business cards are ready.)
Judy Shepard appeared with Rachel Maddow last night to talk about the amazing ignorance and stupidity displayed by Republican Representative Virginia Foxx on the floor of the House of Representatives two days ago. She also discussed the need for legislation like the Matthew Shepard Act. Please take a few moments to watch and listen, then contact your Senators and let them know that this legislation needs to pass quickly…
President Obama needs to forget about this whole bipartisanship thing. It isn’t going to happen. He needs to stop wasting time trying to include the Republicans and just let them go pout in their corner as they seem determined to do.
The President’s budget passed the House of Representatives today. Anybody care to guess how many Republicans voted for it?
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House of Representatives passed a $3.44 trillion budget resolution for fiscal year 2010 Wednesday, approving most of President Obama’s key spending priorities and setting the federal government in a new direction with major increases for energy, education and health care programs.
The resolution, which was approved by a vote of 233 to 193, passed in a virtual party-line vote. All but 17 House Democrats supported it, and no House Republicans voted in favor.
That’s right. None. Not a single House Republican supported our President’s budget. Remember how many House Republicans voted in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (popularly known as “The Stimulus Bill”)? That’s right. None. We could go right on down the list and the answer would remain the same. None.
I say let them sulk and stew in their own sour juices. But, that’s me. Our President is a much bigger man than I. He’ll continue to try to include them and work with them, though I am afraid it will be to no avail.
Don’t forget… The President will be holding his third prime time press conference this evening. It begins at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central) and will be carried by every major broadcast network except FOX.
Do you hear that popping sound? That’s the sound of conservative heads popping all over the United States. Arlen Specter has seen the light. The President’s party is now one step closer to a filibuster-proof majority in the United States Senate.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
Specter’s decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next senator from Minnesota. (Former senator Norm Coleman is appealing Franken’s victory in the state Supreme Court.)
“I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary,” said Specter in a statement. “I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.”
He added: “Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.”
President Obama was informed of Specter’s decision at around 10:25 a.m., according to White House officials, and reached out to the senator minutes later to tell him “you have my full support,” and we are “thrilled to have you.”
The right wing smear machine is shifting into high gear. Hear the screeching and squealing?
The news shocked Senate Republicans, who had been hanging on to their ability to block legislation by a thread. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, called an emergency meeting of party leaders who had no forewarning of Mr. Specter’s plans.
There are a lot of people on the right who seem to be mightily outraged by this photograph:
Yet these photographs did not seem to bother them in the least:
Can anybody explain the difference? Why does the first photograph enrage them so and the second and third photographs elicit no response whatsoever? Do they not all show the leader of the United States of America meeting with another world leader (though it be one that does not share our values and our world view)? What is so different about these three photographs?
Have we now become so isolationist (or is the word “elitist”) that it is no longer proper for the leader of our country to even greet the leader of another country, even though that leader may disagree with us? What would the proper response have been for President Obama to make? Should he have turned his back and walked away? Or perhaps he should have removed his shoe and banged it on the table while shouting “We will bury you!” (Is anybody reading this old enough to get that last reference?)
Our conservative friends on the right are becoming more difficult to understand by the day. They really are.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – Defending his brand of world politics, President Barack Obama said Sunday that he “strengthens our hand” by reaching out to enemies of the United States and making sure that the nation is a leader, not a lecturer, of democracy.
Obama’s foreign doctrine emerged across his four-day trip to Latin America, his first extended venture to a region of the world where resentment of U.S. power still lingers. He got a smile, handshakes and even a gift from incendiary leftist leader Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, and embraced overtures of new relations from isolated Cuban President Raul Castro.
“The whole notion was that if we showed courtesy or opened up dialogue with governments that had previously been hostile to us, that that somehow would be a sign of weakness,” Obama said, recalling his race for the White House and challenging his critics today.
“The American people didn’t buy it,” Obama said. “And there’s a good reason the American people didn’t buy it – because it doesn’t make sense.”
