Obama to speak at USNA graduation

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respectfully theirs - 2009-04-10 08:34:20

Our commander and chief bows to the Saudi's now...maybe Obama will invite him to speak at the ceremonies also.

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Jen Rhoades - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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USNA - 2009-04-10 00:51:02

Uh, Scott? The CIC only serves a four-year term the last time I check the Constitution... Great message, but might want to sound a little more informed.

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Thoughts on this blog - 2009-04-02 22:38:29

It is very disappointing at how we in this country can no longer have a debate without personal attacks and having personal bias overrule facts and accuracy. I agree with T.H... Can't we at least try to have a discussion without the words "Democrat" and "Republican" (and all of the various denigrations of the names)? As for the war, my belief from the beginning is we went there for one main reason: Iraq is in the "middle" of the Middle East and by "democratizing" Iraq, it would spread throughout the rest of the region. The other "reasons" were justification. 1) 16 UN sanctions broken showed a disregard for being part of the world union. 2) Crimes against humanity. 3) Probable possession of WMDs. 4) Very weak link to 911. 5) Threats against Israel. We basically chose Iraq for our new democracy because it was the easiest to justify. It was a gamble we thought was worth taking unlike waiting and reacting like WWI and WWII. And while it could have worked, our planning of what happens after we liberated is what did us in. I think there is a saying about p*** poor planning... Also, I ask those of you who are attacking our current President... How many of you, given the dire situation and one of the magnitude that we currently are facing would not want to be given a chance? I am sure if you were in a new job you would not want people to tear you down before you get to work, would you? I am not for any of the policies he is enacting but there were 8 years of it done one way and now we have at least 4 done a different way... give the man a chance. In the mean time, start hitting up the politicians in Congress who are really responsible for this mess. No regulations from them but plenty of ethics violations chalked up. I say... vote them all out and let's start with a completely rookie Congress. :-) Just my .02 cents.

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Steve K. - ANNAPOLIS, MD - Karma: Neutral

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No one more appropriate - 2009-04-02 14:19:14

Regardless of your political affiliation, there is no one more appropriate for speaking at a military service academy's graduation than the commander-in-chief. After all, he's their boss for the next 6 years and his decisions will have a direct impact on their lives (much more so than us civilians). It's not hypocrisy for him to speak there, and it's not up to the Academy officials to "consider" him as a speaker (he's technically in charge of the school, and the commandant serves under him). Frankly, if I were one of the graduating mids, I'd want to hear him speak of his agenda for how he plans to use me...regardless of whether I voted for him or not.

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Scott S. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Excellent

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Peter - 2009-04-02 10:34:24

OK. So how would you handle everything?

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Obama has accomplished - 2009-04-02 09:32:08

wealth reditribution. Unfortunately its from the millions of recently laid off to the Wall Street millionaires who caused the problem in the form of subsidized bonuses. Anyone wonder why Obama took over the auto industry, firing the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the world, forcing them into bankruptcy, but told us to lay off the CEO's and bonuses of the big banks? Has Obama fired any bank CEOs or forced any into bankruptcy? When Keith Olberman is the first one to bring up that Wall Street financed Obama's campaign and very little came from Detroit, and this may be the reason for it; there is a problem.

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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2009-04-02 07:21:43

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Nice Work - 2009-04-02 01:05:05

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to make a straw man argument.

You see it used sometimes in the main street media.

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Some perspective - 2009-04-01 23:22:14

Can't defend Bush, partly because of him, most because of the main street media's momentum in tearing him down. History will be kinder to Bush than the NY Times. Most people's beef with Bush is that he over stepped his authority. But let's consider this. In the first 60 days of the Obama administration, he has essentially nationalized our largest banks, nationalized our largest insurer, taking over our auto industry-firing the CEO and chairman of a Fortune 500 company, and tripled the size of the U.S. government. If that is isn't over-stepping his authority what is? Obama is on a trajectory to make Hugo Chavez look like a right wing nut. BTW-the spell check on this still doesn't recognize Obama.

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Peter D. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Truthiness - 2009-04-01 18:04:00

Jonathan...now THAT's a debate. Still don't agree with you, but I appreciate your points.

Jen, I don't know where to start. It's like you took a bunch of chunks of different information, stuck them in the microwave, and melted them into an ugly lump. 1. Saddam was a bad man. Unfortunately, here are a lot of bad men out there, and Saddam was in the middle on that badness scale. 2. Saddam and Iraq did not support the Taliban. Saddam was a pariah in the Muslim world and was isolated from the rest of the Muslim countries. 3. Saddam had no part, tacit or otherwise, in the attacks of 911. In fact, he was considered by Al Qaeda to be a traitor to Islam. 4. If this had happened on Obama's watch and he attacked Afghanistan I would support him, just as I supported Bush. The Taliban harbored Al Qaeda and were therefore a clear and present threat to the U.S. If Obama invaded Iraq, I would oppose it just as I opposed Bush's invasion of Iraq because Iraq was not a security threat to the U.S. and the policy of containment as determined by the UN was an effective policy.

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Hmmmm Pt. 3 - 2009-04-01 17:28:54

Hmmm, 19 of the hijackers were from SAUDI ARABIA. Ever wonder why we haven't gone into Saudi? Think people, THINK!

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Tina... - 2009-04-01 16:56:34

"little men inside their am radios" ~ Lol, thanks for that!

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Theresa P - Odenton, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Comment removed by HometownAnnapolis staff. - 2009-04-01 16:52:58

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silly partisans - 2009-04-01 15:47:08

A friend of mine summed it up this way... Americans treat politics like they treat sports teams... They pick one side and root root root no matter what their team does. This is fine in sports, but it is harmful to the democratic process. Rather than moaning about how bad Bush was (and he was) or how bad Obama might turn out to be (wait for it, its coming)... wouldn't it be better to use your energy to make things better. If you want to start somewhere, call your representatives and tell them what you think... this comment section is full of stupid comments that do nothing to get us out of the hole we are in. And to the article... The president / commander in chief regularly speaks at the military academies... it's tradition and totally called for regardless of your political stance... you are ignorant to think otherwise.

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B Kibbey - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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echo head - 2009-04-01 12:37:51

have another dubbie schubbie. or maybe you should lay off and take care of your echo head. (see now that's witty) you are confusing inflammatory with fact...again.

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Jen Rhoades - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Poor Uneducated neocon - 2009-04-01 11:17:23

Jenny says:
"that would be Barak Hussain Obama" no it is Barack Hussein Obama . I know you are trying to be witty and inflammatory but alas you are the joke my little echo-head

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Tina Schubbie - annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible

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B. Hussain Obama - 2009-04-01 10:38:13

Iraq needed to be invaded. With everything Huessain and his sons did, they needed to be stopped, not to mention the backing of the taliban. And keep in mind that his own people sentenced him to death for his crimes against humanity. When they, yes THEY all had a part in killing over 3000 American's, what did you expect Bush to do...roll over and what?? Better yet, say this happened on Obama's watch, (that would be Barak Hussain Obama)how would he have responded, please follow up with some imput and ideas on that. When Kadafi was threatening the U.S., Reagan shot a missile right through his front door, that was the end of that, the US ruled then and rules now.

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TH - 2009-04-01 09:46:34

I would assume that the reason we decided to invade could be summed up in four reasons: 1) Bush was predisposed to invading as he was under the belief that we already had an "axe to grind" via the middeast events occurring circa 1990 and the later assasination attempt on Bush Sr.'s life by "agents" of SH. Daddy didn't get the job done. 2) The invasion was an attempt to send a message to dissadent and rouge states, as Bush touted himself, "Youre either with us or against us" so get in line. 3) You had a madman sitting on roughly 10-20% of the world's oil reserves with the ability, had he been a bit less self absorbed/paranoid, could have cause far greater harm with. 4) His human rights record, which I think we can all admit, will never be able to be accurately calculated, added to the "sexiness" of invading and his past penchant for using chem/bio weapons. I for one am a bit dissappointed too in the intelligence that was used to ultimately beat the war drum and invade Iraq. I truly wish he had gone about it another way and I mearly provided those websites as a gauge of what I was talking about. Much like the Holocaust, Darfur/Sudan, the Argentinian (forgive my spelling) "Dirty War", Rawanda, etc., we will never be able to provide a specifc and accurate number of deaths but we can all admit, hundreds of thousands were killed by these states' Ruling parties/dictators. Like I said in an earlier post, Obama has every right to speak at this event...he is the Commander-in-Chief, if they don't want to listen to what they're commanding officer says, then they definitley joined the wrong organization.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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right wingers neo-cons - 2009-04-01 09:43:01

you really can not blame the right wingers for their behavior. They are incapable of independent thought and are only doing as they are told by the little men inside their AM radios

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Tina Schubbie - annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible

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Divide and conquer - 2009-03-31 22:20:23

That's all these right-wingers are about. They live to denigrate their opponents. Obama's attempts at reaching across the divide are quickly falling apart because Republicans would rather do anything in their power to get him to fail...to hell with how it affects the country. Just look at blowhard-in-chief Limbaugh-the-hut. Ironically it was Maryland's own Republican failure Spiro Agnew who made famous the phrase that's actually most appropriate for his own party: "Nattering nabobs of negativism." Emma persists in foisting the twisted logic that opposing the failed war plans of Chaney and Rumsfeld equals opposing our soldiers and sailors. I don't doubt that she knows better but would much rather use an easy (and lame) platitude to denigrate the President of the United States.

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Duuuhhh - 2009-03-31 21:46:28

Emma...

you rite. me so stoopid 'cuz me no think like you. good thing we make Irak pay for being bad and flying planes in bildings. you and george bush so smart...everyone else so dum!

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T. H. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Mr. Locke - 2009-03-31 20:23:01

You are sparring with idiots. Sadly 'Comrade' Obama is addressing the USNA. The USNA WILL however give the President all the honor that he assumes when he took office as the Commander in Chief. Which is a lot more honor than Obama ever gave the military....but I digress.

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Emma G. - West River, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Web Sites - 2009-03-31 19:58:34

First off, Jonathan, I don't know what's up with the personal attacks with someone who simply disagrees with you...but I wrote, from under my rock, that he was CHARGED with the deaths of 150 Kurds and Shiites. I'll ignore for a second that most of the Web sites were second-hand information rather than the actual reports, and I'll also ignore that they were based on wildly varying estimates and point out that the group of those dead most-mentioned, were the Kurds. Again, a group that is conveniently ignored by the U.S. when they are pounded by our allies, the Turks. If were were genuinely interested in human rights, we would be protecting the Kurds from further bombardment. But we don't, because Turkey is a close ally of ours. You're overlooking the fact that the Bush administration fell back on human rights abuses when they couldn't produce the WMDs, the primary reason for the invasion. So Jonathan, answer me why Saddam Hussein's human rights abuses, and I'm not arguing that he was brutal, was worse than that of other countries, some of whom are our allies? Saudi Arabia is ruled by animals, but Bush had no problem with that. Burma is probably the brutally oppressive society in the world today. Robert Mugabe was using his favorite weapon, starvation, to kill hundreds of thousands of women and children...why was he not targeted? I know you'll say, "we can't save the entire world." And that's true. But there are at least ten dictators who were worse than Saddam whose removal from power would save thousands, if not millions, of lives. So again, why Saddam? Because that was the plan all along. And by the way, liberals annoy me just as much as the conservatives. Both sides pick a position and than use their own "facts" to support that position, rejecting anything that does not. The left wing sites are just as slanted at the right wing sites. Why can't liberals realize that Bush wasn't the anti-christ, and why can't conservatives realize that the Iraq invasion was one of the biggest blunders in the history of U.S. foreign policy?

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Thats laugable TH - 2009-03-31 19:24:42

Your kidding me TH, 150 Shi'ites, that's it. I would suggest you stay off the left wing websites for your fact checking attempt. 150 Shi'ites is even more laughable. I've seen more than in the mass graves we uncovered when I was there.

try these...but really you can find about 100 sources for the information.

http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/mostert/050117

for you wiki fans (see sourcing too)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saddam_Hussein's_Iraq

http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/hussein.html

before many of the mass graves had been uncovered: http://www.medialens.org/alerts/04/041104_Iraqi_Civilian_Deaths_2.HTM

Soooo....I really could go on all day with this. If you think Saddam was responsible for some 150 Shi'ites and a couple of Kurds he and his fellow brood gassed during the Anfal Campaigns, you should probably go back under that rock you have been living for the past 30 years.

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Sources? - 2009-03-31 18:07:23

Jonathan,

250+ Shiite's a day? What is the source of your information? Please specify a credible Web site that can be checked. He was charged with ordering the massacre of 150 Shiites and Kurds in 1982 for plotting his death. Again, he did so with the chemical weapons that he was sold to Iraq by the U.S. and Great Britain.

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Hmmm. Pt 2 - 2009-03-31 17:05:05

Anyways, just keep in mind the human cost of war. I am no peacenik by any stretch of the imagination but I'm no hawk either ready to go to war at the drop of a hat. Just remember the human cost of war. Soldiers coming back with PTSD, TBI and what other acronym they can throw at us, working on getting reestablished in the civilian world minus limbs and damaged minds. We hold hands with the devil and then get selective amnesia when we go to slay the monsters we once allied ourselves with. And think about the human cost of war.....

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GO OBAMA - 2009-03-31 16:49:59

WOW i knew there were alot of haters but wow! what to complain about next, just face it the man is our president and theres nothing no one can do about it woo-hoooo! he has the right to be for or against anything of his choice just like the rest of us,but as president he has a job to do so if that requires being commander in cheif at the naval academy then he has to do just that, so suck it up and get a life or least fine something worth wild to complain about gooooooooooooooooooooooooo OBAMA!!!!!!!

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Suuuuure - 2009-03-31 10:33:30

Right....and the 250+ Shi'ites he ordered to be pulled off the streets daily to be killed as a viable form of population control were what, illegal immigrants? I think the relatives of those buried in the 5000+ mass graves that have been unearthed throughout the Iraq to date, would argue otherwise.

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Saddam - 2009-03-31 10:12:02

Jonathan...I'm sure that he was a bad man, but certainly no worse than many other regimes, and certainly not worse than China, who one of our biggest trading partners, and Saudi Arabia who has some of the worst human rights violations in the world. And the UN violations were just that...UN violations. Why was is it up to the U.S. to intervene when the policy of containment was completely adequate? Everyone knows the answer. We were predestined to invade Iraq at some point, and the WMDs, although a weak excuse, was just enough to justify it. By the way, Saddam did not murder "his own people." He slaughtered the Kurds in the mid-80s with the chemical weapons that were sold to him by the U.S. These are the same Kurds that we allow the Turks to smack down on a regular basis. When the Kurds were killed by Saddam, they were called innocents...when they were killed by Turks, they were called militant terrorists.

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T. H. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Theresa - 2009-03-31 07:25:39

I hope I'm not the first to inform you of this, because it has been over five years since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Bush did not forge the intelligence that justified our invasion of Iraq. It was corroborated with no less than four other non-US intelligence services. The real issue is the administration used this single source as their "smoking gun" to provide the last trumpet blow for the invasion. Lets not forget that Saddam continued to violate a litany of UN Sanctions and commit a myriad of heinous atrocities on his own people. I would invite you also, to read the book, "Saddam Hussein", to get a taste of what this monster was capable and what he and the Baath Party did to Iraq. He is one of many dictators that operates in this fashion, its just a shame that we can't get rid of them all.

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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Comment disabled due to community reporting. - 2009-03-30 22:54:48

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one more thing... - 2009-03-30 22:20:54

Did President Bush show respect and sensitivity when he laughingly hunted for WMD under the oval office desk?

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Theresa P. - Odenton, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Third-party insurance payments... - 2009-03-30 22:14:56

President Bush sent men off to a war of choice in such a hurry that there was no exit plan or enough armour to go around but he didn't play golf so all is well? Not to mention the Walter Reed embarrassment. President Obama never tried to "force soldiers into private insurance. You might find it helpful to read the March 18th White House press release concerning this issue. Also look up and read Republican representative Buyer's legislation concerning third party insurance companies and military servicemen. If you only read the headlines, you don't get the whole story.

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Theresa P. - Odenton, MD - Karma: Neutral

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No class - 2009-03-30 21:30:11

At least President Bush respected the military refusing to play golf while we are at war. Obama shows no such sensitivity having already hit the links. Obama also tried to force wounded soldiers into private insurance eschewing the long held principle of taking care of the people who protect country. Commander and chief, but no friend of the troops.

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A. Huske - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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teleprompter - 2009-03-30 18:25:56

Who was the last President that didn't use a teleprompter? Normal people don't care about this wingnut meme. Attacking Obama on his strength has failure written all over it. Try telling someone "Don't believe your own eyes and ears, Obama can't speak without a teleprompter" and see what kind of look you get.

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Theresa P. - Odenton, MD - Karma: Neutral

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d.k. severn - 2009-03-30 18:11:58

D.K. in Severn maybe you can explain how President Obama doesn't support the military community -- with specific examples? I doubt it very much. But I'll remind you how President Bush sent men and women off to a war of choice using forged intelligence and lies about WMD to fool the American people. Now that's what I call not supporting the military community!

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NA - 2009-03-30 17:56:57

As much as it pains me I agree with Tina, as Obama is the president, as much as that pains me as well. After all, he will just be reading from a teleprompter, which will save the middies from hearing him uh and ahh every few words. Maybe if they are lucky someone will put the wrong text into it, and the middies can get one of the bedtime stories he tells his kids. Considering past performances he would go on reading it not realizing it's not the right speech.

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David Kyle - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Celebrity Prez - 2009-03-30 17:55:41

I really hope we get to see the real celebrity when he comes to the Academy. Of course I mean Barry's teleprompter, the one that really won the election.....

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Ted G. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Bad

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Time will tell intentions - 2009-03-30 13:45:09

That is right, Obama, commander and chief, just the first step for 12 21 2012.

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Jen Rhoades - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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What's the big deal - 2009-03-30 09:00:09

I'm not sure what everyone is up in arms about. Obama is the Commander in Chief. It's part of the job description as President. The President speaks at a service academy every year. This year it is Annapolis. What's the big deal. He'll probably be at the Army/Navy game too. His prior position on the military has no bearing on the commencement ceremonies. It is part of the military protocol. If I remember correctly the last Commander in Chief's military record was questionable as well. Let's just see it as it is people. The President speaking to some very upstanding young men and women celebrating graduation and the start of their careers.
Why this got so much attention in the capital to begin with is a surprise to me. It was expected since it hapens every three of four years. What was surprising is how many other commencement ceremonies the President is speaking at. In my opinion this sort of dulls the glow on the honor of the predient at their commencement in lieu of the sacrifices these men and women will undertake with their military commission.

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K A. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Bad

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Good gravy! - 2009-03-29 21:46:51

Hmmm. I recall during my Army days not too long ago how the officers in the units I was in bad mouthed President Clinton in front of enlisted troops. So much for setting the example. Technically the military is supposed to be non-partisan. Not anymore I guess. And we have a volunteer military...that's right, you volunteer to serve. Nobody drags you into the recruiting office. And it's not just up to the military to protect your freedoms, the citizens also must do their part (maybe sacrifice a little bit of the good life) besides going to the mall and shopping like we were told to do while honorable men AND women went off to fight in some forsaken land.

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J. Jovkovich - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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Comment disabled due to community reporting. - 2009-03-27 18:47:28

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Moving on..... - 2009-03-27 15:36:31

I too am shocked. Not only that the Naval Administration asked President Obama to speak, but that he has accepted. What a twist. Maybe they're all trying to bury the hatchet. Will this possibly be the first time in Academy history that a non-military figure will address?

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Debbie F. - Arnold, MD - Karma: Bad

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Disrespectful Ingrates - 2009-03-27 14:02:13

MY friends, I know you are still bitter that your favorite texas born illiterate had to leave but Obama is the Commander- in-Chief. If you don't like it, pay for your child's education like the rest of us.

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Tina Schubbie - annapolis, MD - Karma: Terrible

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Obama to Speak at USNA - 2009-03-27 13:07:15

I agree with the comment posted by D.K. of Severn, MD. I am the proud daughter of Captain USN (ret.) Charles E. Seeger, Class of '52. I am truly dissapointed that the Naval Academy would consider engaging President Obama as the guest speaker for Commencement Ceremonies. He does not support the efforts of the honorable men who risk and have risked their lives throughout history. Open your eyes America - without a military fighting to keep your freedoms and mine, where do you think we will end up? It is a hypocrisy for President Obama to give a speech to the young military men who have chosen to serve our country.

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Kate Seeger - Rancho Cucamonga, CA - Karma: Bad

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Well - 2009-03-22 12:19:03

Had they stayed in college, maybe they wouldn't have been "stuck" having serve in the military. LOL

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Johnathan Locke - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Good

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USNA Graduation - 2009-03-21 21:30:51

I don't know what world you live in D.K of Severn, Md but boy are you all wet.

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Lou Albertsen - Ocala, FL - Karma: Bad

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USNA Graduation - 2009-03-21 20:54:46

It is too bad that the Naval Academy will allow itself to be used by a liberal socialist president who did not support the military community during his campaign and after, as its Commander in Chief. He has done nothing but look down his elitist nose at the troops who sacrifice their lives to protect this country.

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D K. - Severn, MD - Karma: Bad