Posted by: ds2007 | September 1, 2012, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm

And yet the Republican right will come up with any hateful thing they can to attack the President. We know exactly where the hate and division is coming from. People see through the finger pointing from Romney, Ryan and the others – it will cut them down.

Stan continues the ad hominem senility.

Posted by: Rafael | September 1, 2012, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm

You expected giddy applause during that? Seriously, the Republican right is way off base – and doing it for political posturing.

The President’s presentation at Fort Bliss was a very serious talk about solemn and serious issues – like suicide and other difficulties for veterans and those still in the military – and a heartfelt thanks for those sacrifices. The President addressed these issues in a sensitive and serious manner. You do not expect uproarious applause – unless you’re a Republican rightie trying to make phony political gain.

‘Occupy’ encampment re-opens near Dem convention…

DNC security rules trigger free speech worries…

Obama and the democrat hate machine and their wall street friends may try to silence us…BUT WE WILL BE HEARD

His praise for the soldiers — and for his own national-security policies — won cheers from only a small proportion of the soldiers and families in the cavernous aircraft-hanger.

The audience remains quiet even when the commander-in-chief thanked the soldiers’ families, and cited the 198 deaths of their comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The audience’s reaction was so flat that the president tried twice to elicit a reaction from the crowd.

“Hey, I hear you,” he said amid silence.

The selected soldiers who were arrayed behind the president sat quietly throughout the speech.

The president’s speech to the soldiers is part of his constitutional duties as commander-in-chief.

Posted by: Rafe | September 1, 2012, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm

I believe the clearly described approach was to use half the money to reduce the deficit (reduced military spending in the budget) and half for programs that invest in the country’s future (upgrading infrastructure for example).