President Obama Speaks to Muslim World
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In my opinion, the biggest mistake President Bush made in fighting the terror war was believing the Muslim world would embrace democracy. You'll remember the Bush administration thought the Iraqis would greet us as liberators. Obviously, that did not happen. And to this day, the corruption in the elected Iraqi government is massive, as is corruption in the Afghan government.
Well, Thursday, President Obama also appealed to the Muslim world to embrace Democratic values, equality for women, due process, not violence to accomplish goals, and basic fairness and decency when dealing with disagreements. President Obama's effort was noble and I hope he got through. The president began by defining his purpose.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I've come here to Cairo to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive.
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Well, a good speaker always finds common ground. The president did that and then promoted sympathy for Muslims.
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OBAMA: More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Well, that was smart. There's no question that history has not been kind to the Middle East. Then the president took a turn.
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OBAMA: I made clear that America is not and never will be at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security, because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women and children. And it is my first duty as president to protect the American people.
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Very strong and necessary after the president's European presentation. Now, I would have continued on a pro-American course. The president did some of that, but then lapsed back.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}OBAMA: Just as America can never tolerate violence by extremists, we must never alter or forget our principles. 9/11 was an enormous trauma to our country. The fear and anger that it provoked was understandable, but in some cases it led us to act contrary to our traditions and our ideals. We're taking concrete actions to change course. I have unequivocally prohibited the use of torture by the United States, and I have ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed by early next year.
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All right. Enough, Mr. President. The USA is not and never has been a torture nation. The Cheney-Obama debate made that perfectly clear. To continue hammering the torture theme does not do anyone any good, so let's drop it.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And closing Gitmo so quickly was a bad idea. You may have good intent, but the situation is one giant screw-up and could turn deadly if any of these guys go free and start killing. So let's drop that as well.
Finally, President Obama did what Dick Morris suggested Wednesday night. He appealed to young Muslims to change a culture often steeped in bitterness and failure.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}OBAMA: I want to particularly say this to young people of every faith in every country. You, more than anyone, have the ability to re-imagine the world, to remake this world. All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that time focused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an effort, a sustained effort to find common ground.
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Now, I have no major beef with the president on the speech. He is trying to diminish tensions in a dangerous world, and I hope Muslim society listens.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Australian model Miranda Kerr wants you to help koala bears. Ms. Kerr posed for Rolling Stone magazine to try to raise awareness for the plight of koala bears. She says greenhouse gas emissions are hurting their habitat in Australia and that may lead to extinction. Since we like koala bears and want to keep them around, Ms. Kerr is a patriot. And it has nothing to do with the way she appeared on the cover. Nothing to do with it at all, not even a little bit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On the pinhead front, problems with Bo, the first dog.
Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: So sum up this guy. What have you been able to judge as far as character so far? He's extremely well-behaved.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's a good dog.
WILLIAMS: He's still very much a puppy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}OBAMA: He's got a great temperament.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Although he ate up a magazine today.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now, if the magazine was Sports Illustrated, Bo is a pinhead. But if the magazine was The Nation, Bo is a patriot. I like Bo.
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