flygirl
09-12-2006, 08:32 AM
From BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5337700.stm):
Bush Address Stokes Controversy
By James Westhead
[snip]The president had pledged that his speech would not be political. However, he implicitly challenged Democrats who have opposed his policies in Iraq by insisting the threat would require a unified country to achieve victory.
"We must put aside our differences, and work together to meet the test that history has given us," he said.
Nevertheless the address drew sharp criticism from political opponents.
You do not commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 by politicising it
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Edward Kennedy - a leading Democrat - said the president "should be ashamed of using a national day of mourning" to justify his Iraq policy.
Another top Democrat, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, called the address disappointing, saying: "You do not commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 by politicising it." [snip]Do you think addressing the Iraq war was appropriate? If so, was he right to spend so much time on the issue? Shoud he have addressed Afghanistan?
I think touching on the issue would have been appropriate, given that the day is related to national security. In fact, I think it would have been impossible not to mention it. But I don't believe he should have dedicated so much of the speech to the issue. If there's one day we can come together and feel proud to be an American, this is it. Whether his speech was meant to be derisive or not, he & his writers knew it would be, and it should have been tempered.
Bush Address Stokes Controversy
By James Westhead
[snip]The president had pledged that his speech would not be political. However, he implicitly challenged Democrats who have opposed his policies in Iraq by insisting the threat would require a unified country to achieve victory.
"We must put aside our differences, and work together to meet the test that history has given us," he said.
Nevertheless the address drew sharp criticism from political opponents.
You do not commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 by politicising it
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Edward Kennedy - a leading Democrat - said the president "should be ashamed of using a national day of mourning" to justify his Iraq policy.
Another top Democrat, Senator Charles Schumer of New York, called the address disappointing, saying: "You do not commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 by politicising it." [snip]Do you think addressing the Iraq war was appropriate? If so, was he right to spend so much time on the issue? Shoud he have addressed Afghanistan?
I think touching on the issue would have been appropriate, given that the day is related to national security. In fact, I think it would have been impossible not to mention it. But I don't believe he should have dedicated so much of the speech to the issue. If there's one day we can come together and feel proud to be an American, this is it. Whether his speech was meant to be derisive or not, he & his writers knew it would be, and it should have been tempered.