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Obama "turn the page" quote famous 'Bob Seger' tune

by UNCENSORED NEWS | September 1, 2010 at 07:39 am

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Obama seeks to "turn the page" reminded the public of the words written by the famous Bob Seger but was an actual commanding officer's speech to his military troops still working in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"You can listen to the engine moanin' out his one note song....But your thoughts will soon be wandering The way they always do When you're ridin' sixteen hours And there's nothin' much to do And you don't feel much like ridin', You just wish the trip was through. There I go again, Turn the page."

But as the entire world witnessed last evening President Obama did make the decision to pull forces permanently from Iraq and will start the process of removal in Afghanistan sometime next year.

This morning on the news Arizona Senator John McCain (R) commented on the public address given by the president. He told reporters he didn't think it was necessary for Obama to mention former Pres. George W. Bush in his speech and that the negative comment was better left unsaid.

"Sen. John McCain, who ran against Obama in the 2008 general election and an early proponent of a troop surge in Iraq, said on Fox News: "What [Obama] should have said: 'I opposed the surge. I was wrong. I made a mistake and George W. Bush deserves credit for doing something that was very unpopular at the time.' " McCain added, "Instead he had to say it's well known that George Bush loves the troops."

McCain was opposed to revealing sensitive information to the "enemy" before the due date of withdrawal and criticized Obama for his announcements regarding the future halt of the Afghanistan combat by the U.S.

Twice during his Oval Office speech, President Barack Obama's emotions seemed to upstage the words he was addressing to the nation about the formal end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq. Obama's familiar professorial tone Tuesday night dropped somberly when he paid tribute to the more than 4,400 American service members who lost their lives there, and it leaped when he declared with more than a hint of exasperation that "it is time to turn the page." If his most repeated theme was praise and gratitude for troops whose mission is "completed" in Iraq, the speech, less than 20 minutes in length, was all about transitions: from a military focus on Iraq to one aimed at ending the threat of al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan; from being a nation at war to one focused on the "most urgent task" of restoring the economy; from confronting U.S. enemies through war to a strategy grounded in diplomacy that includes this week's new push for peace in the Middle East.

President Obama's speech Tuesday night marking the end of combat operations in Iraq drew a largely -- but not universally -- negative response from Republicans. One particular sticking point for many Republicans was the president's failure to tip his cap to the apparent success in Iraq of the counterinsurgency "surge" strategy -- authored by Gen. David Petraeus and implemented by President George W. Bush over the objections of many Democrats, including then-Senators and presidential candidates Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

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nanute

at 11:44 on September 1st, 2010

Obama seeks to "turn the page" reminded the public of the words written by the famous Bob Seger How do you know the phrase reminded the public of the Bob Seger tune? Was there a poll asking the public about it? Or, was it what came to your mind when you heard the phrase?

Karen Hatter

at 12:06 on September 1st, 2010

Hey, Nanute, I'm a Bob Seger fan, well, not a fan with all his albums but, to your point, I'm not sure Bob is that much of a public icon.

nanute

at 12:21 on September 1st, 2010

Karen, I'm a big fan of Bob Seger, and the phrase the President used didn't bring Bob to mind for me. The theme of the speech was it's time too look forward, not back. It's been a consistent point in many areas of the Obama administration's policies.

Karen Hatter

at 13:08 on September 1st, 2010

My favorite? Night Moves!

Yeah, that's also what I got, Nanute, as you say, very consistent with the 'not looking back' stance, set early on in the Obama administration, including not going full throttle after Bush administration officials, who concocted several cover stories for why the U.S. was in Iraq in the first place or the torture and all the rest of it!

Two American things have been accomplished in Iraq. Tens of thousands, more than a million Americans served their country in a horrible war for seven and a half years under horrible circumstances and under political leadership that was not honest about why they had been sent there. Those Americans are to be honored for what they did and what they gave and they are to be taken care of as veterans now that they're home.

The other accomplishment in Iraq is that we have finally found a way to leave, to get combat troops out, now.

Those two accomplishments belong to this president, who's overseeing the withdrawal from Iraq, and to the people who served -- the people who served honorably for these seven and a half long years.

Credit for all the rest of it, for the made-up reasons for going in, for going in in the first place, for letting Afghanistan spill out of control in favor of this war, for the constant revisions for the justifications for war to obfuscate the craven petty radicalism that really started -- Republicans, you guys can go right ahead and take that credit. Go right ahead. Credit where credit is due.

YankeeJim

at 11:53 on September 1st, 2010

In the end, history is likely to prove that this is the turning point in the US economic recovery, providing that we can keep Republican and Democrat hands off of the war trigger.

Karen Hatter

at 12:00 on September 1st, 2010

We'll see, Jim.

YankeeJim

at 11:54 on September 1st, 2010

Karen Hatter

at 11:57 on September 1st, 2010

Well, since the entire Seger song is about traveling on the road, the things you miss, the encounters, with the lyrics painting a picture of people missed, in this case women, mentioned twice, I guess the song could reflect some of the soldiers' feelings, stationed far from home, if they heard it.

Although, since the words were used in the President's address, it is unlikely the phrase was meant to allude to the song.