President Obama Considers Address to Nation on Syria

[Sunlei]

Source: ABC

President Obama is considering a high-profile address to the nation on the need for military intervention in Syria — a speech that could come as early as this week — according to top lawmakers and administration officials.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said today there is no speech planned at this point, but that Obama is looking at “multiple opportunities” to make the case directly to Congress and the American people.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that he has “no doubt” the president will make a speech from the Oval Office in the coming days.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., also said Wednesday that Obama would make a direct appeal to the American public on Syria “probably later this week.”
Obama is expected to return to Washington from Russia and the G-20 summit late Friday night. His weekend schedule has not been announced.




Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/president-obama-considers-address-to-nation-on-syria/

[David__77]

1. I guess he wants to do some of the poop shoveling himself.

I'd thought he was smart to force Kerry to do his dirty work. Perhaps he will gain some respect by shoveling some poop himself.

[Tx4obama]

4. Pres Obama HAS been talking to America about Syria since August 31st. See Comment #3

[David__77]

8. But he hasn't required smelling salts afterward, like Kerry.

He has said things like "narrow and limited" and "shot across the bow" (what, they intend to miss?)... The administration saved the Hitler/Nazi/genocide/Munich nutso talk for Kerry and other surrogates. I do wonder if he will partake.

[Sunlei]

12. yes, I know he has but he needs to address the people. Media has people all

churned up that a response to the use of chemical weapons has to be a war. I don't know what to do as a 'response'. Nothing, is not acceptable to me. I don't want chemical weapon attacks to become a commonplace tool and they will if Assad gets away with this.

I wish the intelligence crew that sat there for 3 days and watched them set up the attack had taken out the launchers or at the least warned people loud and clear.

I still think an International Tribunal is the best answer or perhaps one of the other many non-dysfunctional countries will step-up.

[daleo]

24. Suppose the attacks were by the rebels

Then a U.S. strike will just embolden terrorists to use chemicals, then blame it on the government that they are trying to overthrow.

[valerief]

2. Is he going to talk about protecting petrodollars by warring with all those upstart nations

who try to sell oil with euros or other non-U.S. currency?

[Brigid]

10. Yeah, what's our oil doing under their sand?

[snappyturtle]

26. Bingo! nt

[Tx4obama]

3. President Obama's FIRST long address to the nation regarding Syria was from the Rose Garden

... from the Rose Garden August 31, 2013 and aired on CNN, MSNBC, FoxNews, etc.

VIDEO here, full speech: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017142336
Transcript: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/31/statement-president-syria

Also, additional comments from President Obama, below

September 3, 2013 - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/09/03/remarks-president-meeting-members-congress-situation-syria

September 4, 2013 - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/09/04/remarks-president-obama-and-prime-minister-reinfeldt-sweden-joint-press-

[Iliyah]

20. Thanks! I heard them!

I'll tune in with family.

[LittleGirl]

5. I won't be watching any speech

Syria should be on their own - it's their civil war and frankly, we're trying to rebuild this country.
The boogie man is dead - his name was Osama and the citizens of Syria should solve their own problems.

I haven't been this disgusted with Obama since he proposed the chained cpi and I haven't watched a speech of his since he was re-elected.

[alp227]

6. At least tonight's NFL season opener isn't getting pre-empted, thank goodness.

But people will have to miss the season finales of Mistresses or So You Think You Can Dance to hear some war mongering, it seems from what I'm seeing on zap2it.com.

And how ironic would it be for obama to give the speech on Wednesday (9/11)?

[another_liberal]

17. Maybe he should give it on "Patriot Day."

His new Republican allies in Congress would love the symbolism.

[earthside]

27. That would be appropriate.

The Orwellian 'Patriot Day' ... the day of the defeat that started a chain of U.S. defeats.

Afghanistan, Iraq -- PATRIOT Act, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, NSA spying, etc. -- all victories for instilling fear and terror in Americans that was the strategic objective of al Qaida.

An attack on Syria would be the next phase.

If Pres. Obama made his address on September 11, he could 'memorialize' the 9/11 defeat with the Orwellian 'Patriot Day' rhetoric and urge us all to support his call for U.S. aggression against yet another middle eastern nation.

Perfect, uh?

[another_liberal]

29. He is already doing an impersonation of George W.

Maybe he could give the speech with a bullhorn, while wearing a hard hat?

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

7. President Obama should utilize the power of the Oval Office Address....

He is a fantastic orator, and I feel that he should address the nation from that setting more often.

[another_liberal]

15. Yeah . . .

Nixon did that all the time.

[Sunlei]

22. wish he would also utilize his web address more, instead of letting media play the 'telephone game'.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/syria

[Brigid]

11. He's got oner hell of a sales job ahead of him.

Most people I know, like myself, are sick to death of war. What about us? When do our needs start to matter?

[durablend]

13. Betcha he won't mention

What's gonna have to be CUT to pay for his adventure!

[another_liberal]

14. Why is he bothering to do that?

I appreciate the gesture, yet it hasn't seemed to matter very much what we think on the issue up till now.

[Marrah_G]

16. Have no interest in watching

This isn't about a leader killing his own people. If it was we would have bombed the shit out of North Korea already.

He is going to do this even if the majority of citizens do not want him to. There is not one country in the ME that we have intervened in that is now better off.

He is helping rebels that will probably be alot worse then assad in the long run. It's like watching Afghanistan all over again. If I were a woman in Syria I would be trying to find a way out of that country before the extremists gain control and put them all in Burqas.

[School Teacher]

18. I am Not Watching Because I Can No Longer Believe Anything He Says.

There is no use listening to more lies. I get what is going on here. The Neocons want an oil pipeline from the gulf to Latakia and to
control all countries in the Middle East so that Israel is safer. This is the Project for the New American Century agenda. Fini. They don't care how many people die. Did they care about the people in Iraq and Afghanistan dying? No. Do they care about the people in Syria dying, not really. They are making an empire and they want us to pay for it.

[Amonester]

21. Heck, they don't even (really) care about poorer Americans than them dying

from poverty, or from being wrongly sent abroad to kill for their never-ending dirty busine$$

Why would they really care about absolute strangers in countries they never went to?

[quadrature]

19. what is left to talk about, that has not already been

yap yap yapped to death?

[truth2power]

23. Another chance to get a transcript of his speech and parse it...

I expect it'll be full of puffery, misdirection and lies.

I can hardly wait.

[Safetykitten]

25. "The Obama Happy Time Freedom Hour" with tonight"s guests...and the June taylor Dancers!

[MelungeonWoman]

28. He needs Clint Eastwood's chair.

He can talk to it like I'm sitting in it. Perhaps bring in Rahm for the phraseology.

[another_liberal]

30. Very good!

"America, you're just sitting there . . ."

[ConcernedCanuk]

31. Don't wait for the United Nations or anything Barack

.
.
.

Change,

Hope,

indeed.

(sigh)

CC

[oshma]

32. How about an explanation for the number of casualties the WH reports?

The U.K. and France are reporting much lower numbers, and this Lebanon-based professor has some things to say on the topic:

http://tinyurl.com/n22uc8b