Bush speech anniversary draws scrutiny, commentary (Mission Accomplished)

[maddezmom]

White House says president's address was 'correct'
By Sean Loughlin
CNN Washington Bureau
Friday, April 30, 2004 Posted: 8:21 AM EDT (1221 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One year after President Bush declared major combat operations over in Iraq, Democratic critics say the commander in chief spoke too soon, pointing to continuing battles between U.S. forces and insurgents and mounting U.S. causalities.

"Iraq has become a quagmire," Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said in a speech Thursday on the Senate floor. "It may well go down as the worst blunder in the entire history of American foreign policy."

Saturday marks the anniversary of Bush's nationally televised speech to the nation, delivered from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in which he stood under a banner reading "Mission Accomplished" and hailed a "job well done." (Audio Slide Show: One year ago)

"My fellow Americans," Bush intoned May 1, 2003. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." (Gallery: The carrier landing)

Since that speech, close to 600 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including more than 420 in hostile action. (Special Report: U.S. deaths in Iraq)

The White House contended Thursday that Bush's speech was proper, noting the president cited "difficult work" ahead for U.S. troops, even after Saddam Hussein's regime had toppled in the U.S.-led invasion. (Today in Iraq: Marines plan Fallujah pullback)
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more:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/30/speech.anniversary/

[maddezmom]

1. kick

[Miss Authoritiva]

2. A flagrantly inappropriate photo-op gone terribly wrong.

This is what happens when a president indulges in stunts (including the Iraq War, for that matter). Nonetheless, Bush supporters will saturation bomb the media with reinterpretations of the carrier speech, and they'll probably be able to recalibrate reality by a few millimeters just through pure repetition. So it goes.