WASHINGTON, July 4, 2009
Obama, McCain Cite Founding Spirit on 7/4
As President Cites Nation's Domestic Challenges, GOP Senator Calls on Americans to Support Iranian Protesters
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The former presidential rivals each delivered their respective party's weekly address today, and on this July 4th holiday touted the American spirit, though to different ends. (AP)
The onetime presidential rivals both cited the spirit of the nation's founders in their U.S. Independence Day radio and Internet addresses Saturday.
Mr. Obama said an "unyielding spirit is what defines us as Americans" and led people during the nation's history to explore the West, persevere during the Depression and build a robust industrial economy.
"That is the spirit we are called to show once more," President Obama said. "We are facing an array of challenges on a scale unseen in our time. We are waging two wars. We are battling a deep recession. And our economy - and our nation itself - are endangered by festering problems we have kicked down the road for far too long: spiraling health care costs; inadequate schools; and a dependence on foreign oil."
He said the same spirit will be needed to deal with problems "we cannot defer any longer," citing several areas:
The House narrowly passed Mr. Obama's energy bill, and Congress is developing legislation to overhaul the health care system, making care more affordable and providing coverage for millions of the uninsured.
McCain, an Arizona Republican, says the United States has a moral obligation to publicly denounce the Iranian government and support Iranians who feel cheated by the election.
"Today, we stand with the millions of Iranians who brave batons, imprisonment and gunfire to have their voices heard and their votes counted," McCain said. "They do not ask us to arm them or come to their assistance with anything other than public declarations of solidarity, and public denunciations of the tyrants who oppress them. We have a moral obligation to do so."
After quashing huge street demonstrations, Iran's leadership has been trying to erase any lingering doubts about the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by portraying the unrest as sparked by foreign meddling, not by public anger over the June 12 election, which the protesters said was fraudulent.
Mr. Obama has tried to balance being supportive of the protesters without giving the Iranian government more cause to crack down.
Republican lawmakers have pushed President Obama to more forcefully denounce Iran's leadership. More than two weeks ago, the president issued his strongest statement against the actions of the Iranian regime. "No iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to the peaceful pursuit of justice," Mr. Obama said at a news conference. He expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the national election.
While McCain on Saturday pushed for a more forceful international voice, Mr. Obama rallied support for his domestic programs.
The president said some critics of his programs "would have us try what has already failed; who would defend the status quo."
But he said those critics need to remember history.
"They forget that we, as a people, did not get here by standing pat in a time of change," he said. "We did not get here by doing what was easy. That is not how a cluster of 13 colonies became the United States of America."
"We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it," Mr. Obama said. "And on this July Fourth, we need to summon that spirit once more."
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By Associated Press Writer Will Lester
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 47 CommentsHOORAY FOR ME AND SCREW YOU!!!
It's not about left-right, Democrats vs. Republicans, liberal vs. conservative.
It's about us vs. Goldman Sucks, JP Morgan and all of the banksters here and the Anglo-Dutch financiers that are looting us for every dime we could muster through these fraudalent bailouts.
Until we understand that bailing out 1.4 quadrillion in worthless derivatives and credit-default swaps is not only impossible but it is a take over of our sovereignty by private-financiers.
WAKE UP AMERICA AND STOP THE PARTISANSHIP...LOOK PASSED THE PUPPETS!
America does not need or want you!
Oh yea, heard the messiah is going to Africa but not visiting is deserting dad's homeland.How come??
are you blaming clinton for 9/11? Or are you trying to rationalize this looming disaster you helped elect to president? BTW have you heard he just approved doubling the troops into afghanistan after doubling the number of troops for this "surge"? Where's that story?
Why blame Clinton for 9/11?
He warned Bush about the pending threat 8 months before the attack, and various federal agencies warned him at least 8 times of the pending threat, and he ignored those threats / warnings too.
Were you REALLY expecting Clinton to read the intelligence and act on it 8 months after he left office, since Bush wouldn't / couldn't?
***actually, in six short months obama has taken over the US auto industry, the financial and insurance industries and is moving to takeover the the medical and energy industries. In those same short 6 months he has tripled our national debt, and made us more indebted to china who are now trying to dictate the value of our currency. In that short, hilarious 6 months he has also absolutely slaughtered small business as well as totally confused consumers. Oh, and he also got two monstrous bills passed without anybody reading them.
He's "taken over" all of those companies?
When did that happen?
Just now?
Obama spent 3 years campaigning here in Illinois to be President. Meanwhile, Illinois was going down the tubes and because of Obama inability to communicate with the state we now have Roland Burris in the Senate. Another corrupt, greedy Illinois politican. Burris is already campaigning for election to the Senate when this term is up. This term he bought and paid for. Obama had to know Gov. Blagojevich was dirty and he did nothing. Now our state is broke, and where is Obama, why he is living rent free in the White House..and Illinois people are going to the poor house. 467 thousand people lost their jobs in June, the car plants in St. Louis closed Thursday, we dont make our own products and many American's don't care. Think about what we are suppose to celebrate today, The Birth of our Nation. Well, our nation is in the poor house and soon we will be known as just the North American States and each state will be going broke until another rich country buys them out one at a time. Want to be a real American, stop buying all the foreign goods.
McCain has nothing I care to hear and neither does Obama. They are both self-serving to themselves and their wallets.
Meanwhile,
Today is the day that many LEGAL new Americans are becoming citizens. We applaud these new Americans. You became an American the right way. You took the oath to become a LEGAL CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN...WELCOME.
IRAN!!!!!
And what does Barack "Change" Obama talk about??
All those jobs he SAYS he will create but NO ONE has seen them YET (IF EVER!)!!!
Talk about absolutely CLUELESS POLITICIANS!!!!!!!!!!
HAIL OBAMA??????????
Ok, so you think they are so smart. Lets see, where are the results? None as of yet and things getting worse by the day. Lowes said they have seen no increase in the sell of shovels and factories are laying off more every day. This new "make more for Gore" is only going to make it worse, the stimulis that was slamed through congress was a joke. Nobody even read it, poorly planed, but Queen Pelosi and king Reid will get their new Dinky railrod. I think we were better off with the ones you stated before we got all these"bright" people.
HILARIOUS!!!!
Obama has 6 short months to, not only halt the economic implosion, but turn it 100% around and turn it into a booming economy?!?!?!
And you think that we would be better off with those that have PROVEN that they know NOTHING about the economy, energy, war, foreign policy, etc, etc, etc?!?!
Boy you need to turn off the Fox News -- it's doing some REAL damage!!
***actually, under bush, unemployment was lower, foreclosures were fewer, the national debt and deficit were less, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan were under control, the stock indexes were higher, our allies knew who's side we were on, and our enemies feared and respected us.
"Foreclosures were lower" because the housing market didn't collapse until 2007, dummy.
"unemployment was lower" because the accounting practices of the "unemployed" didn't count the "underemployed" for the first time in history.
"the national debt and deficit were less" - so you're saying that Obama isn't allowed to spend ANY MONEY in running the country?
The stock indexes were higher, because they were built on the quicksand of terrible business practices. But tell us, how many presidents left office with the stock indexes 40% LOWER than when they took office?
Our enemies "feared us"? Is that why North Korea was launching rockets last summer, and Iran built their first ever nuclear plant under his watch?
Who has he hired that is bright, Turbo Timmy? He must not be to bright he got caught. Daschel,nope,or the other 3 that resigned? It was just poor judgement by a community organizer.
Are you kidding? Have you even LOOKED at any of his picks?
I mean, he didn't pick "Brownie" to be the head of FEMA, but he did pick a nobel prize winning physicist, Chu, to be energy secretary.
He didn't pick Harriet Meiers to be on the Supreme Court, but he did pick Geithner to be Treasury Secretary.
He didn't pick John Bolton to be the Ambassador to the United Nations, but he did pick Vilsack to head the USDA.
And that's just a SLICE of the intelligence and experience he hired to advise him. There's simply NO COMPARISON between the highly educated and experienced cabinet that Obama put together, and the rampant cronyism that was the hallmark of Bush Jr, Bush Sr, and Reagan's cabinets.
Hungry, you might as well admit it. Obama has no clue of what he is doing. President Queen Pelosi is in hiding along with King Reid. This is a one term side kick at best.
I have no doubt that Obama is doing the best he can with the absolute nightmare that Bush dumped on this once great nation.
Obama has the best, brightest, and most qualified advisers that he could have picked, and THAT is what separates a good president from a bad one. (Nobody expects a president to hold a PhD in economics, but his advisers sure as hell should.)
Hiring experienced and educated people is CLEARLY NOT a claim that Bush could have made, since all that he hired was uneducated, inexperienced friends and family. And THAT is why our nation is in the position it's currently in - teetering on the brink.
And THAT is what separates the conservatives from the liberals, and why the conservatives policies ALWAYS hurt this country when they're in charge.
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