by Mark Silva
"So much has changed in the last 100 years - thank God for change,'' President Barack Obama said to a ready cheer today, addressing employees of the FBI at headquarters in Washington.
The old days of bootleggers are gone, the president told his audience. With the attacks of 9/11, the agency's mission became more focused on crime prevention, he said. "Through it all, you must continue to stay one step ahead of all who step outside of the law.''
It is the FBI's decision, analyses and actions that make the country "safer" and strong,'' he said. Much has changed, he said, but "some things have remained constant - that starts with the values that we have sworn to uphold.''
"We must reject as false choices the choice between our security and our ideals,'' the president said. "We are always stronger when we act in concert with our most deeply held values... Living our values means that we must hold ourselves to higher standards than our enemies.... Al Qaeda is not confined by a Constitution.
"What makes the United States special is precisely the fact that we are willing to uphold our ideals and values, not only when it's easy, but when it's hard,'' he said, and he drew some applause with that line.
"There is much to celebrate,'' he said, noting the agency's motto of "fidelity, bravery and integrity.... If you stay true to those words... we'll be able to look back 100 years from now with the satisfaction that you advanced Americans security and ideals in your time.''
Robert Mueller, the FBI director, sent the president home to the White House with a couple of official "Bureau Teddy Bears'' for the president's daughters. "it is not too early for Sasha and Malia to start thinking about joining the FBI,'' Mueller said.
Comments
"We must reject as false choices the choice between our security and our ideals,'' the president said.
There is no false choice-or if it is, Obama is as guilty as anyone. This is one of many intelligence insulting statements that Obama continues to make and nobody challenges...
IF waterboarding was so reprehensible congress has had the opportunity since they were briefed on it's use to specifically make it illegal- in fact, Ted Kennedy in 2006, had proposed an amendment to the military commisions act to do this specifically... this attempt failed in the Republican led congress..
So what has been preventing the Dems- who have controlled congress for more than two years now- with Obama as a sitting Senator (2006-2008)from reintroducing this amendment to remove this horrible "false choice" and to finally make it illegal?
Obama- once again, has proven to be nothing more than "I am not Bush" in Chief.
Posted by: heartburn | April 28, 2009 12:15 PM
O dear, the Great Americans like John D, heartburn, Bubba Porter and Terry are really going to be angry at the notion of upholding our "ideals and values". They don't like American ideals and values. They think our ideals and values make us weak.. The support the ideals and values of the Gestapo and KGB. They support the ideals and values that say Torture is a positive good. The support the ideass and values that say anything done in the name of protecting the people is not to be questioned, no matter what those actions are. They support the ideal of power and the value of might over the ideals and values that have made this country what it is, the ideas and values of basic human rights, the rule of law, the ideas that says torture dgrades the torturer more than the tortured. They will be very angry to see those American ideals and values praised.
Posted by: Torture is wrong. Period. | April 28, 2009 12:22 PM
John E is wrong,
Don't put a match near all you strawmen.
Posted by: Terry | April 28, 2009 7:37 PM
The definitive film on torture:
Graphic leaked trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcl-uofCzRc
Posted by: g | April 29, 2009 6:20 PM