Published on Tuesday, May 6, 2003 by CommonDreams.org
'A Troubling Speech'
Remarks by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd
US Senate Chamber
May 6, 2003

In my 50 years as a member of Congress, I have had the privilege to witness the defining rhetorical
moments of a number of American presidents. I have listened spellbound to the soaring oratory of
John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. I have listened grimly to the painful soul-searching of Lyndon
Johnson and Richard Nixon.

Presidential speeches are an important marker of any President's legacy. These are the tangible
moments that history seizes upon and records for posterity. For this reason, I was deeply troubled by
both the content and the context of President Bush's remarks to the American people last week
marking the end of the combat phase of the war in Iraq. As I watched the President's fighter jet swoop
down onto the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, I could not help but contrast the reported
simple dignity of President Lincoln at Gettysburg with the flamboyant showmanship of President Bush
aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

President Bush's address to the American people announcing combat victory in Iraq deserved to be
marked with solemnity, not extravagance; with gratitude to God, not self-congratulatory gestures.
American blood has been shed on foreign soil in defense of the President's policies. This is not some
made-for-TV backdrop for a campaign commercial. This is real life, and real lives have been lost. To me,
it is an affront to the Americans killed or injured in Iraq for the President to exploit the trappings of war
for the momentary spectacle of a speech. I do not begrudge his salute to America's warriors aboard the
carrier Lincoln, for they have performed bravely and skillfully, as have their countrymen still in Iraq,
but I do question the motives of a deskbound President who assumes the garb of a warrior for the
purposes of a speech.

As I watched the President's speech, before the great banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished," I
could not help but be reminded of the tobacco barns of my youth, which served as country road
advertising backdrops for the slogans of chewing tobacco purveyors. I am loath to think of an aircraft
carrier being used as an advertising backdrop for a presidential political slogan, and yet that is what I
saw.

What I heard the President say also disturbed me. It may make for grand theater to describe Saddam
Hussein as an ally of al Qaeda or to characterize the fall of Baghdad as a victory in the war on terror,
but stirring rhetoric does not necessarily reflect sobering reality. Not one of the 19 September 11th
hijackers was an Iraqi. In fact, there is not a shred of evidence to link the September 11 attack on the
United States to Iraq. There is no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein was an evil despot who
brought great suffering to the Iraqi people, and there is no doubt in my mind that he encouraged and
rewarded acts of Terrorism against Israel. But his crimes are not those of Osama bin Laden, and
bringing Saddam Hussein to justice will not bring justice to the victims of 9-11. The United States has
made great progress in its efforts to disrupt and destroy the al Qaeda terror network. We can take
solace and satisfaction in that fact. We should not risk tarnishing those very real accomplishments by
trumpeting victory in Iraq as a victory over Osama bin Laden.

We are reminded in the gospel of Saint Luke, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be
much required." Surely the same can be said of any American president. We expect, nay demand, that
our leaders be scrupulous in the truth and faithful to the facts. We do not seek theatrics or hyperbole.
We do not require the stage management of our victories. The men and women of the United States
military are to be saluted for their valor and sacrifice in Iraq. Their heroics and quiet resolve speak for
themselves. The prowess and professionalism of America's military forces do not need to be
embellished by the gaudy excesses of a political campaign.

War is not theater, and victory is not a campaign slogan. I join with the President and all Americans in
expressing heartfelt thanks and gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their service to our
country, and for the sacrifices that they have made on our behalf. But on this point I differ with the
President: I believe that our military forces deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, and not
used as stage props to embellish a presidential speech.