Iraq War

On the two-year anniversary of the end of our combat mission in Iraq, the President speak to troops at Fort Bliss, and discusses that part of ending wars responsibly demands standing by those who have served. August 31, 2012.

President Obama marks the second anniversary of the end of major combat in Iraq, by thanking our servicemen and women for the outstanding work they did.

Edward Meagher joined the United States Air Force in 1966. He volunteered to go to Vietnam and spent well over 2.5 years overseas.

Today, Edward has the privilege of working with veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Obama's message has been very clear. You stood up for us; we will stand tall for you. He's ended the war with honor, and he's brought them home, and he's doing the same thing in Afghanistan. He understands at a real gut level what these folks have been through.

The video outlines the challenges America faced as President Obama took office at the height of the worst recession in almost a century and details the progress that has been made reclaiming the security of the middle class and building an economy that's meant to last, where hard work pays and responsibility is rewarded.

On the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, the PBS series "Frontline" prepared the definitive retrospective. Bush's War is four hours of news video, seasoned with interviews of administration officials and journalists. You don't have to watch it all at once. Choose what you wish, watch when you can. This documentary is must-see TV for your Republican friend who is still pro-war. It answers the question, "What did the Iraq invasion have to do with catching the 9/11 terrorist Osama bin Laden?" The answer: Nothing. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/

I grieve for the families who have lost a loved one. I grieve for the soldiers who have come home wounded, missing limbs, or emotionally damaged. I grieve for our country as we awaken to the fact that the cost of war is high. I grieve for the loss of justice as elected leaders try to justify warrantless wiretapping, detention without trial, and torture of prisoners. I pray that we elect new leadership whose moral compass is the U.S. Constitution, the Golden Rule, and the rule of law. May we make the right decision. Amen.