Transcript: Obama Speech on Afghanistan (12-1-09)

This is the complete transcript of Obama's speech on Afghanistan, given 12-1-09. Excerpt below:

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan - the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here - at West Point - where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda - a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world's great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban - a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.

Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them - an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to 0. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 - the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda's terrorist network, and to protect our common security.

Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy - and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden - we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the UN, a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.

Commentary: U.S. is drowning in debt

The Congress doesn't care because they are not accountable.

in reference to:

"The following editorial appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday, Nov. 29: The federal government reached a distressing milestone this month — $12 trillion in debt. That's about $39,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States.In 2001, the national debt stood at about $5.5 trillion. In the past eight years, Washington piled up more debt than the nation had accumulated in its entire history. Foreign countries hold $3.5 trillion of our country's debt, led by China at around $800 billion and Japan at $730 billion. Unless the United States starts living within its means, foreign lenders could decide to end our free-spending ways.What does this record debt mean? With interest rates at historic lows, the government is paying about $200 billion per year in interest on the debt. But as rates inevitably rise and the government borrows even more, interest payments are projected to soar to $700 billion annually within 10 years.Paying an extra $500 billion per year is equal to the combined costs of fighting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus the budgets of the U.S. Departments of Education, Energy, and Homeland Security. There's just no room in the federal budget to absorb that kind of increase.The bailouts under former President George W. Bush and President Obama, as well as the $787 billion package of tax cuts and spending in February to stimulate the economy, were needed to prevent an economic meltdown. But these actions have only increased pressure on Congress and the president to get long-term fiscal policy under control.The only solutions are tax increases, or massive spending cuts, or both.This is not a partisan issue. For decades, under Democratic and Republican administrations, under liberal and conservative Congresses, Washington has spent more than it has collected in taxes and borrowed the rest."
- Commentary: U.S. is drowning in debt | McClatchy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Dying man robbed in Philadelphia ER waiting room

Now tell me we don't need health care reform. This is a said indictment on our society as a whole.

in reference to:

"Police say three people who noticed a Philadelphia school counselor unconscious and dying in an emergency waiting room robbed him instead of going for help.DiscussCOMMENTS (0) Police say 63-year-old Joaquin (wah-KEEN') Rivera spent nearly 80 minutes waiting in an emergency room after complaining of pain down his side. But they say he died of an apparent heart attack at Aria (AR'-ee-uh) Health's Frankford Campus before seeing a triage nurse.Surveillance video shows three people talking with Rivera before he passed out and then taking his wristwatch.Police arrested 44-year-old Richard Alten at the hospital and are seeking his companions, whom Capt. John McGinnis described as homeless addicts. Alten's public defender has declined to comment."
- Dying man robbed in Philadelphia ER waiting room - Boston.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Forty percent of Democrats say they ‘probably won’t vote’ next year: poll

Democrats are rightfully disillusioned with whats going on in their government. They realize their vote doesn't amount. They were promised change but are getting status quo. This is the best argument yet for the People's Term Limits movement: termlim.com

in reference to:

"Forty percent of self-identified Democratic voters say they are "not likely" or "definitely" won't vote in next year's Congressional elections, according to a little-noticed poll released over the Thanksgiving weekend. The poll, which surveyed 2,400 Americans nationwide between Nov. 22 and Nov. 25, found that self-identified Republicans were three times more likely to say they were going to vote next year. The results suggest perilous fights for Democrats in the midterm elections, where the president's party typically lose seats. Democratic leaders still have an almost 15-point edge in favorability ratings over their Republican counterparts: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has a 41 percent voter approval rating and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) clocks in at 31, whereas Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) draws just 15 percent support to House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-OH) 14 percent. President Obama's favorability rating sits at 53 percent, according to the poll."
- Forty percent of Democrats say they ‘probably won’t vote’ next year: poll | Raw Story (view on Google Sidewiki)

Wash. Police: Shooting Suspect Wounded

Imagine if this animal had been let free by a liberal Governor instead of Mike Huckabee. FOXNews would be going berserk.

in reference to:

"Police said early Monday morning that a suspect in the coffee-shop slayings of four officers was holed up at a Seattle house, wounded and possibly dead. Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said negotiators were still trying to communicate with Maurice Clemmons. Authorities had been seeking Clemmons in the deaths of four Lakewood police officers gunned down in a Parkland coffee shop on Sunday morning. They believe the gunman may have been wounded by one of the victims. Troyer told CBS' "The Early Show" that Clemmons was hurt during the shootout at the coffee shop and that his wound is possibly "severe." Late Sunday, they began to focus on the Seattle house, about 30 miles from the crime scene. Negotiators used loudspeakers and explosions to try to prod Clemmons from hiding."
- Wash. Police: Shooting Suspect Wounded - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tips for Safe Online Shopping

"Shopping online does carry some risk, but so does shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. At least online shoppers don't need to worry about fender-benders in the parking lot, pick pockets at the mall, or getting the flu from all those fellow shoppers.

But the nice thing about shopping online is that by following some basic guidelines you can be reasonably sure you'll have a safe experience.

Secure your PC: The first thing you need to do is be sure your computer is secure. Trend Micro's education director David Perry, says that "bad guys these days are operating by planting a keylogger on your system that listens in, surreptitiously waiting for you to use your credit card or your bank password so that they can steal your money." So, even if you're dealing with a legitimate merchant, you're at risk if your computer is infected. Your best protection from these attacks is to keep your operating system and browsers updated and use a good and up-to-date security program. If you're getting or giving a Netbook or other PC for the holidays, make sure that security software is installed right away. Most security companies offer a free-trial version that will tide you over for a month or so, but be sure to subscribe so you get ongoing protection."

in reference to:

"Shopping online does carry some risk, but so does shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. At least online shoppers don't need to worry about fender-benders in the parking lot, pick pockets at the mall, or getting the flu from all those fellow shoppers. But the nice thing about shopping online is that by following some basic guidelines you can be reasonably sure you'll have a safe experience. Secure your PC: The first thing you need to do is be sure your computer is secure. Trend Micro's education director David Perry, says that "bad guys these days are operating by planting a keylogger on your system that listens in, surreptitiously waiting for you to use your credit card or your bank password so that they can steal your money." So, even if you're dealing with a legitimate merchant, you're at risk if your computer is infected. Your best protection from these attacks is to keep your operating system and browsers updated and use a good and up-to-date security program. If you're getting or giving a Netbook or other PC for the holidays, make sure that security software is installed right away. Most security companies offer a free-trial version that will tide you over for a month or so, but be sure to subscribe so you get ongoing protection."
- Tips for Safe Online Shopping - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

With cancer screenings, 'more is not always better'

"Women across the USA have been shocked and angered by new advice to get fewer mammograms. Yet experts have been debating the risks of mammograms and other cancer screenings for more than a decade.

There's growing evidence that cancer screenings aren't always helpful — and can sometimes be harmful, say Lisa Schwartz and Steve Woloshin of the Veterans Affairs Outcomes Group in White River Junction, Vt. A number of medical groups also have scaled back their cancer screening guidelines:"

in reference to:

"Women across the USA have been shocked and angered by new advice to get fewer mammograms. Yet experts have been debating the risks of mammograms and other cancer screenings for more than a decade. There's growing evidence that cancer screenings aren't always helpful — and can sometimes be harmful, say Lisa Schwartz and Steve Woloshin of the Veterans Affairs Outcomes Group in White River Junction, Vt. A number of medical groups also have scaled back their cancer screening guidelines:"
- With cancer screenings, 'more is not always better' - USATODAY.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Report: FBI paid controversial blogger for help

I'll repeat what I've said before. We need a new agency that is set to fight terrorism, domestic and international. The FBI doesn't know how to fight terrorism. They butcher it every time. Fort Hood is the latest example.

in reference to:

"A New Jersey blogger about to stand trial on charges he made death threats against federal judges apparently was paid by the FBI in its battle against domestic terrorism, according to a published report. The Record of Bergen Countyreported Sunday that Hal Turner received thousands of dollars from the FBI to report on neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups and was sent undercover to Brazil. Turner also claims the FBI coached him to make racist, anti-Semitic and other threatening statements on his radio show, but the newspaper also found many federal officials were concerned that his audience might follow up on his violence rhetoric. The newspaper reviewed numerous government documents, e-mails, court records and almost 20 hours of jailhouse interviews with Turner. He goes on trial Tuesday in New York, accused of making death threats against three Chicago-based federal appeals judges after saying in Internet postings in June the judges "deserve to be killed" because they had refused to overturn handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park."
- Report: FBI paid controversial blogger for help - USATODAY.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

4 police officers shot dead at Wash. coffeehouse

This kind of stuff is going on in Mexico.

in reference to:

"A gunman burst into a coffeehouse Sunday and opened fire on four police officers as they sat working on their laptops, killing the three men and one woman in what an official described as a targeted ambush. Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said officers were looking for one male suspect who fled on foot, but haven't ruled out an accomplice. It wasn't clear whether the officers even had time to draw their weapons to return fire, Troyer said."
- 4 police officers shot dead at Wash. coffeehouse (view on Google Sidewiki)

Rumsfeld decision let Bin Laden escape: Senate report

One of Bush's great failures. But his biggest failure was allowing 9-11 to happen.

in reference to:

"Osama bin Laden was "within the grasp" of US forces in late 2001 but escaped because then-defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld rejected calls for reinforcements, a hard-hitting US Senate report says.The report, set for release Monday, is intended to help learn the lessons of the past as President Barack Obama prepares to announce a major escalation of the conflict, now in its ninth year, with up to 35,000 more US troops.It points the finger directly at Rumsfeld for turning down requests for reinforcements as Bin Laden was trapped in December 2001 in caves and tunnels in a mountainous area of eastern Afghanistan known as Tora Bora."The vast array of American military power, from sniper teams to the most mobile divisions of the marine corps and the army, was kept on the sidelines," the report says."Instead, the US command chose to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias to attack Bin Laden and on Pakistan's loosely organized Frontier Corps to seal his escape routes."Entitled "Tora Bora revisited: how we failed to get Bin Laden and why it matters today," the report -- commissioned by Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- says Bin Laden expected to die and had even written a will."But the Al-Qaeda leader would live to fight another day. Fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected."Requests were also turned down for US troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan."The decision not to deploy American forces to go after Bin Laden or block his escape was made by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and his top commander, General Tommy Franks," the report says."On or around December 16, two days after writing his will, Bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan's unregulated tribal area. Most analysts say he is still there today."Rumsfeld's argument at the time, the report says, was that deploying too many American troops could jeopardize the mission by creating an anti-US backlash among the local populace."
- AFP: Rumsfeld decision let Bin Laden escape: Senate report (view on Google Sidewiki)

1 in 8 Americans on Medicaid

This is what Wall St greed and their servile government wrought.

We need revolutionary change: www.termlim.com

in reference to:

"It has grown so rapidly in places so diverse that it is becoming nearly as ordinary as the groceries it buys. More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.Virtually all have incomes near or below the federal poverty line, but their eclectic ranks testify to the range of people struggling with basic needs. They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare.While the numbers have soared during the recession, the path was cleared in better times when the Bush administration led a campaign to erase the program’s stigma, calling food stamps “nutritional aid” instead of welfare, and made it easier to apply. That bipartisan effort capped an extraordinary reversal from the 1990s, when some conservatives tried to abolish the program, Congress enacted large cuts and bureaucratic hurdles chased many needy people away.From the ailing resorts of the Florida Keys to Alaskan villages along the Bering Sea, the program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day. There are 239 counties in the United States where at least a quarter of the population receives food stamps, according to an analysis of local data collected by The New York Times."
- The Safety Net - Across U.S., Food Stamp Use Soars and Stigma Fades - Series - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Text-a-Tip Programs Allow Tipsters To Help Police

Once again technology being used to serve the public interest.

in reference to:

"A mother in Boston tells police her 8-year-old boy was shot to death in their apartment by gunmen in hooded sweatshirts during a home invasion.Officers later receive a text message from an anonymous tipster that leads them to a much different conclusion: the boy's 7-year-old cousin accidentally shot him while the two boys were playing with a loaded 9 mm handgun.Meanwhile, authorities in Douglas County, Colo., thwarted a threatened Columbine-style attack after an anonymous text about a student's "kill list" led them to weapons in the child's home.After struggling for years with an anti-snitching culture that made witnesses too afraid to come forward, police across the country are getting help from text-a-tip programs that allow people to send anonymous, text messages from their cell phones.In Boston, the first city to heavily promote texting for crime tips, police have received more than 1,000 tips since the program began two years ago. Police credit text tips for providing them with key leads in at least four high-profile killings, including: the accidental shooting of Liquarry Jefferson by his cousin; an arson fire that killed two children; the shooting of a Boston teenager on her 18th birthday; and the fatal stabbing of a man during a bar fight.Officer Michael Charbonnier, who oversees the program, said people who live in high-crime neighborhoods are often afraid that if they talk to police, they could be hurt or even killed by gang members, drug dealers or other criminals."It's either call 911 or live with the bad guy. And if you call, there could be repercussions," Charbonnier said."So when they have this option of texting us - knowing no one will know who they are - well, now, people give us license plate numbers, they give us names," he said.In the past, people feared retaliation for talking to police, but with the texting programs, police never see the tipster's name or telephone number. The text messages are sent to a separate, third-party server, where identifying information is stripped out and they are assigned an encrypted alias before being sent to police."
- Text-a-Tip Programs Allow Tipsters To Help Police - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress, Denies Affair

Let's see if this turns out to be false rumor. When did the National Enquirer become respectable enough to be quoted. And if the rumors turn out to be wrong, will Huffington, TMZ, and Drudge apologize?

in reference to:

"Rachel Uchitel became a major story on Wednesday, when rumors that the 34-year-old was having an affair with Tiger Woods began to circulate. The rumors have picked up steam after the circumstances surrounding Woods' car accident raised more questions than they answered. Uchitel continues to deny the affair. She told the New York Post that the rumors are "completely untrue." Nevertheless, she said, "this is nothing to do with me. We have never had an affair, and the claims we did are completely false. We have never had an affair, talked on the phone or sent any type of text, sexy or not. She denied the National Enquirer story that sparked the rumors to BlackBookMag.com as well: "I totally deny the Enquirer story. They did contact me about it, but they didn't use any of my quotes or any of the information I gave them. They make it sound like I said those things, but it's all other people saying I said things." The Enquirer is standing by its story and has released additional details."
- Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods' Alleged Mistress, Denies Affair (INFO) (view on Google Sidewiki)

U.S. Still Running Secret Prison in Afghanistan

How little things really change in this government.

in reference to:

"An American military detention camp in Afghanistan is still holding inmates for sometimes weeks at a time and without access to the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to human rights researchers and former detainees held at the site on the Bagram Air Base. The site consists of individual windowless concrete cells, each lighted by a single light bulb glowing 24 hours a day, where detainees said that their only contact with another human being was at twice-daily interrogation sessions. The jail’s operation highlights a tension between President Obama’s goal to improve detention conditions that had drawn condemnation under the Bush administration and his desire to give military commanders leeway to operate. In this case, that means isolating certain prisoners for a period of time so interrogators can extract information or flush out confederates. While Mr. Obama signed an order to eliminate so-called black sites run by the Central Intelligence Agency in January, that order did not apply to this jail, which is run by military Special Operations forces."
- U.S. Still Running Secret Prison in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Russia: Bomb caused train crash that killed 26

"Russian officials opened a terror investigation Saturday, saying that a home-made bomb planted on the tracks of the high-speed Moscow-to-St. Petersburg route caused a derailment that killed at least 26 people and injured dozens more.

The head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Borotnikov, was quoted by the Interfax and RIA Novosti news as saying that an improvised explosive device equivalent to 15 pounds (7 kilograms) of TNT had detonated when the train passed over it Friday night. Remains of the device were found at the site of the crash, Borotnikov said.

"Indeed, this was a terrorist attack," Interfax cited Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for federal prosecutors, as saying."
in reference to:

- Russia: Bomb caused train crash that killed 26 - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tiger Woods Seriously Hurt in Crash

MSNBC is quoting Woods' agent as saying the golf great is "fine."

in reference to:

"Authorities say Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car wreck in Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol says the PGA star hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway early Friday in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle. Woods was taken to Health Central Hospital. His condition was not immediately known, though the news release said his injuries were serious."
- Tiger Woods Seriously Hurt in Crash - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Jump in number of global swine flu deaths

"The global number of swine flu deaths has jumped by more than 1,000 in a week, latest figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) show.

At least 7,826 people are now known to have died following infection with the H1N1 virus since it first emerged in Mexico in April.

Europe saw an 85% increase in the week, with the total number of deaths rising from at least 350 to at least 650.

However, in most cases the virus continues to produce mild symptoms.

The overwhelming majority of patients usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week."

in reference to: BBC News - Jump in number of global swine flu deaths (view on Google Sidewiki)

FBI: Ex-Doctor in Ohio Admitted Making Pipe Bombs

How do these things happen without anyone noticing.

in reference to:

"Federal agents in Ohio say a former doctor admitted making pipe bombs that were part of an arsenal seized at his apartment. An affidavit filed in federal court in Akron says 56-year-old Mark Campano of Cuyahoga Falls told an FBI agent he "did indeed" build the pipe bombs found this week at his apartment. The affidavit filed late Wednesday does not describe a motive or any possible targets. A message seeking comment was left Friday for defense attorney Donald Hicks. Authorities arrested Campano after an explosion rocked his apartment complex Monday night. Police said he was trying to load shotgun shells when one blew up. Campano's Ohio medical license was revoked in 2006 because of a long history of drug abuse."
- FBI: Ex-Doctor in Ohio Admitted Making Pipe Bombs - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

White House Crashers May Face Charges

They should be thrown in jail for this stunt. But it won't happen. The media would jump all over that. In addition, these low lives will become famous, and maybe wealthy, from this experience.

in reference to:

"The Secret Service may begin a criminal investigation against the Virginia couple who crashed a high-profile White House dinner, an agency spokesman said Friday. Jim Mackin said the possible turn toward criminal charges is one reason the Secret Service has kept mum about what happened when Michaele and Tareq Salahi arrived at the security checkpoint Tuesday. They were not on the guest list for the dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Nobody disputes that the two, candidates for a reality TV show, were allowed through security. The Secret Service acknowledges that its procedures weren't followed. Still unknown is the story that the uninvited guests spun to the security officers that persuaded them to allow the couple through. That likely would play a role in any criminal charges."
- White House Crashers May Face Charges - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

The White House Gate Crashers: What Went Wrong?

It could have been a terrorist or an assassin.

in reference to:

"At least two people who weren't invited, we now know. Just how reality-TV-wannabes Michaele and Tareq Salahi managed to crash last week's first State Dinner (See TIME's photos here.) has been the subject of back-to-back front page stories in the Washington Post and another one in the New York Times. The story raises some serious questions about White House security, given how close they got to the President and the Indian Prime Minister, as well as so many other high-ranking government officials. As of now, the Secret Service is blaming the debacle on a breach at a single checkpoint, though they are being vague on the details. My own experience with these things is both limited and dated. Back in 1999, I attended a similar dinner the Clintons threw in honor of Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji. (According to the Washington Post account of that dinner, I got invited under the "White House always throws a bone to reporters who follow the president" exemption. Whatever. I was very, very happy to be there for what turned out to be a very cool experience.) But what I know from that dinner tells me there were a number of places where things went wrong: The first thing to know is what makes entering the White House for one of these big social events different from, say, getting in for a routine interview or a briefing. For state dinners, invited guests are allowed to drive a car up to the building. The guards go over your vehicle, including putting something that looks like a gigantic dental mirror under it, and then you are sent up the driveway to the White House, where a uniformed military officer takes your keys and parks your car."
- UPDATE: Guess Who Came To Dinner? - Swampland - TIME.com (view on Google Sidewiki)