Let me finish tonight with what Tom Donilon, the president's National Security Advisor said yesterday.
He was on Meet the Press, talking about getting Osama bin Laden. He said the people who did it don't serve a political party or only one president. They serve whosever in office.
"It is not a matter of partisanship... That the United States about its goals has persistence and determination, that the United States does what it says it's going to do."
The United States.
That's a great way to speak about a mission carried out by the American people through their government. The United States, not just the American people, or just the government doing something on own, but here it was people operation through their government to pursue a mission.
The United States. Great phrase; we ought to use it more often.
It's been a joy for me to see people I watched progress in political life now perform at such a high level of public service and to do it with fine values, a patriotic commitment to the country and what it stands for.
I meet Bill Daley, who is White House Chief of Staff, and Jack Lew, who's the U.S. Budget Director, or Tom Donilon, who's coordinating national security matters, and I'm simply proud of what they're doing. They have fine values - they aren't ideologues but solid professionals who want this country to make it!
They care about the country the way people sitting out there far from power do. They are not big-shots or grandstanders but public servants.
What got me to saying this tonight is the most obvious thing in the world - the thing the events of last Sunday inspire me to feel. I love it when our country is served the way the United States should be served, when we achieve the mission and in the right way.
I wasn't around on VE Day or VJ Day so this is a new feeling for me - this confirmation that the United States - us, our government serving our country's mission - can achieve what it sets out for.
So tonight, I say - not for the last time - "God Bless the United States."
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Not to take away anything from the people that you mention, but there are many people who work every day doing their job to make this country better. A lot of people have spent this spring demonizing them. They are our teachers, police, firefighters and yes government bureaucrats. I am so fed up with people complaining that government does not do its job and then doing everything they can to make sure that government cannot work.
Back when Pres. Obama was first running for office, traveling around Iowa in developing support for his candidacy, his constant refrain was, "There are no red states and no blue states, there is only the United States of America." Mere words cannot express how deeply that sentiment resonated with me! It should also resonate with every other American, too.
[This country] can achieve what it sets out for...
Looking at the grief the trollish sorts give you over that "tingling feeling up your leg," I was on my way back from the grocery store when I thought, "Damn it Chris; they're gonna come after you again for that one."
I thought back to Apollo 11 and then Apollo 13, where even Nixon looked presidential greeting the returning astronauts on the deck of that Navy ship...
I got thinking, though, so I Googled you bio, and it says you were in Africa at the time, at least for the Apollo 11 landing and probably the Apollo 13 rescue as well...
Just thought I'd let you know what you missed...
"What got me to saying this tonight is the most obvious thing in the world - the thing the events of last Sunday inspire me to feel. I love it when our country is served the way the United States should be served, when we achieve the mission and in the right way."
The mission will really be served when our President, our congress, the American people, the press demand that anyone who has committed crimes against humanity be held accountable. Whether that individual be Osama for his part in the killing of innocents on 9/11. Or Bush,Cheney, Feith, Wolfowitz, Rice etc for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi people who have been killed as a direct result of the Bush administrations invasion. Then and only then will real justice be served. This is a moral and spiritual problem for Americans and the whole world knows this. These double standards are just not going to fly any longer no matter how much you wave that American flag Chris.
Chris and Hardball team you really ought to think about having the constitutional lawyer, blogger and human rights activist Glenn Greenwald on to discuss the legality of the assisination of Osama, the precedent, international law etc. Chris he would put the screws to you because I think he is smarter, quicker and far more on point than you. And I think you are really smart. I also think you would really like him because he stays on point and knows the law. Over at Salon.
Mr. Matthews,
Since the president killed Bin Laden, you have not had Pat Buchanan on you show. Is this simply a coincidence? It would have been nice to hear Buchanan's opinions about Obama who Buchanan has called on many occasions, "the weakest president in the country's history". It would be nice if you had Buchanan back on the show and make him eat his crow.
Trapped in Mississippi
Chris, Thanks great job!