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Giuliani falsely claims Obama never said "war" in State of the Union

January 28, 2010 11:43 am ET — 48 Comments

In a Fox & Friends appearance, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani falsely claimed that President Obama "didn't mention the word 'war' " in his State of the Union address. In fact, Obama made at least seven mentions of the word "war," including calling for the U.S. military to "have the resources they need in war," adding that "we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home."

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Giuliani falsely claims Obama "didn't mention the word war last night"

From the January 28 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

GIULIANI: The reality is he spent something like a page and a half -- on what with a 14-, 15-page speech -- on national security, as if it's an afterthought. It was a footnote to the speech. It was in the -- when the speech was running over an hour and people were starting to yawn, part of the speech. National security is a lot more important than that. Part of the problem this president has had is he hasn't made national security important enough. He began with not wanting to call it a war, didn't mention the word "war" last night, didn't mention the word "Islamic terrorism" last night. This would be like Franklin Roosevelt giving a State of the Union speech during the Second World War and not mentioning Nazism and not mentioning the war.

BRIAN KILMEADE (Fox & Friends co-host): Right. Even when it comes to the budget, too, that should have been factored in.

Obama mentioned "war" at least seven times

Obama: Military "must have the resources they need in war." Obama repeatedly mentioned the word "war" in his State of the Union address. For example, Obama stated: "Tonight, all of our men and women in uniform -- in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world -- they have to know that we -- that they have our respect, our gratitude, our full support. And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home." [Obama's State of the Union address, 01/27/10]

Obama mentioned war when citing budget deficit. Contrary to Kilmeade's claim that "even when it comes to the budget, too, [war] should have been factored in," Obama stated: "At the beginning of the last decade, the year 2000, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one-year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget." [Obama's State of the Union address, 01/27/10]

Media previously claimed Obama "finally noticed" we are "at war" with terrorists

"War" word fixation is not new. Following Obama's January 7 remarks on the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight -- remarks during which Obama stated, "We are at war. We are at war with al Qaeda" -- numerous conservative media figures falsely suggested that prior to that speech, Obama had not characterized the fight against terrorists as a war. In fact, in his inaugural address, Obama stated that "[o]ur nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred," and he has repeatedly discussed terrorism as the rationale for U.S. military action abroad.

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    • Author by foghornleghorn (January 28, 2010 11:48 am ET)
      12 1
      Ghouliani probably didn't even watch the SOTU. If he did, he was probably too busy chanting "9/11" over and over to actually hear what was being said.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by txthinker (January 28, 2010 1:11 pm ET)
           
        He was probably too enthralled with a "Spongebob Squarepants" marathon on Nickelodeon to watch the President speak.....
        Report Abuse
      • Author by rkcomments (January 28, 2010 1:12 pm ET)
        5 1
        Agreed. Ghouliani should stop wasting our time and instead spend time mending his relationship with his own kids.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by Max Credits (January 28, 2010 1:21 pm ET)
        5 1
        Speaking of 9/11, remember when Giuliani refused money from Prince Alwaleed? Eight short years later and here he sits, "America's Mayor", a regular contributor to Alwaleed's news network. Times sure have changes.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by Bad News (January 28, 2010 1:25 pm ET)
        6  
        9/11? There were no Terrorist attacks during the Bush Administration.

        A Noun, a Verb & i don't know?

        If you want to talk National Security talk to Giuliani's former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, if you can stand that awful Jail Smell.

        Foghornleghorn: Ghouliani as in Ghoul a Grave Robber? Sweet.


        Mr. News
        Report Abuse
    • Author by southerngal (January 28, 2010 11:53 am ET)
      14 1
      This is just ridiculous. Giuliani is about as irrelevant and out of date as a cassette player. If you are going to be this silly and petty in your criticisms at least get the facts straight as to what you are being silly, petty and ridiculous about.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by null1fy (January 28, 2010 5:04 pm ET)
        2 6
        What other option does MMA have other than to scrape the bottom of the barrel?
        Report Abuse
        • Author by PopeRatzo (January 28, 2010 9:21 pm ET)
          3 2
          The entire GOP is the "bottom of the barrel".

          MMA will be busy for a loooong time.
          Report Abuse
    • Author by ilikeike (January 28, 2010 11:53 am ET)
         
      And unlike Rudy, he didnt mention 911 over two thousand times
      Report Abuse
    • Author by shaggles (January 28, 2010 11:55 am ET)
      14  
      For a guy who for seven years couldn't complete a sentence without mentioning 9/11 and later claimed that there were no terrorist attacks on Dubya's watch I'd have to say semantic subtleties are not his strong suit.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by mrhebert74 (January 28, 2010 12:07 pm ET)
      10  
      Obviously Giuliani meant Obama never said war except for the times he did. When Giuliani makes a statement of fact, you always have to assume "except for instances when the opposite was the case."
      Report Abuse
    • Author by blueline99 (January 28, 2010 12:19 pm ET)
      6  
      Is it really so hard to get the text of the speech Rudy? I guess you count on Fox and their viewers to be too dumb to fact check you... oh btw... he not only mentioned it, but did so in an inspiring way

      As we take the fight to al Qaeda, we are responsibly leaving Iraq to its people. As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as President. We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August. (Applause.) We will support the Iraqi government -- we will support the Iraqi government as they hold elections, and we will continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: This war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by DellDolly (January 28, 2010 12:19 pm ET)
      6 3
      I suspect that Giuliani is so hyped up because Obama didn't say "terrorism" or "war on terror", not just Giuliani's false statement that Obama didn't say "war". And Obama didn't say those things. He said "terrorist" twice and "bioterrorism" once.

      It's Giuliani's belief that national security has to be the overarching focus of Obama.

      Too bad that Bush didn't belief that national security had to be his overarching focus between January 20th and September 11th. Obama has clearly made national security a much larger part of his administration than Bush did. And even after 9/11, Bush messed up so many times.... Obama's had many more drone Estimates say that Obama's cooperative efforts in one year have killed about 8000 terrorists - Bush killed about 4000.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by southerngal (January 28, 2010 12:27 pm ET)
        6 11
        I can't understand why somebody who is constantly slapping hands around here for people derailing threads and going off topic has the brazen gall to go on about Bush, which is clearly off topic. Nowhere in this thread by MMfA is Bush mentioned, yet you are clearly out to derail it with talk of him?

        Now Sue, hold out your left hand, take your right hand and give those knuckles two swift quick slaps. One for going off topic, and one for hypocrisy.

        Report Abuse
        • Author by nerzog (January 28, 2010 12:37 pm ET)
          8 2
          Well, since Rudy allegedly said "Thank God George Bush is our President" as he watched the towers fall, George Bush is automatically relevant whenever Rudy starts singing his One-Note "War on Terror" Samba.
          Report Abuse
          • Author by southerngal (January 28, 2010 12:40 pm ET)
            3 11
            DollySue loves to play hall monitor and set standards for everyone else regarding what they can discuss and how relevant it is to the thread. Just giving her a little of her own medicine, which tastes just like a big heapin' helpin' of hypocrisy.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by vhw28672478 (January 28, 2010 12:42 pm ET)
              4  
              There no war on terror
              Report Abuse
              • Author by Max Credits (January 28, 2010 12:54 pm ET)
                8 2
                If invoking Bush in a Media Matters thread about the President and the war on terror is an act of thread derailment, then I bet you think hanging from the rim during a slam dunk contest would be totally off topic.
                Report Abuse
            • Author by DellDolly (January 28, 2010 12:58 pm ET)
              13 2
              I have NEVER, not once, criticized ANYONE for doing what I did above.

              I directly addressed what Giuliani did. I then addressed the hypocrisy of Giuliani and most Republicans who praised Bush's behavior. I then gave examples of how Bush failed and Obama has been succeeding, since Giuliani's point was to denigrate Obama's efforts.

              But what YOU love to do is to let your personal animus show through when you reply to me.

              There's a significant difference between addressing the topic DIRECTLY and then relating it to something else that's directly relevant in that same post and making a troll post that has nothing to do with the article that MMFA posted, with the intent to derail a thread.

              But you know this. And because you try to derail threads any way you can, you made THIS post, trying to derail the thread.

              Please don't feed this troll any more.
              Report Abuse
            • Author by Leftym0m79 (January 28, 2010 1:40 pm ET)
              3 1
              I have to applaud you on your tact for derailment...Accuse someone else of it so people will waste time and energy refuting it. Bravo, bravo.
              Report Abuse
              • Author by DellDolly (January 28, 2010 7:39 pm ET)
                3 1
                But what IS wonderful to see is that after the warning about his troll post and his attempt to derail the thread, almost no one replied to his posts to let him lead them down that dangerous path. I was happy to see that.
                Report Abuse
    • Author by Don Quixote (January 28, 2010 12:29 pm ET)
      9  
      The truth and Guliani parted ways long ago, sometime during the GOP primaries. They are no longer in contact, and are not on speaking terms. Reconciliation is unlikely.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Kikabi (January 28, 2010 12:45 pm ET)
      4  
      I'm so tired of Giuliani. He used to be a fairly moderate guy, but he keeps going further and further to the right the more often Fox has him on. I guess he knows he has to keep mouthing their favored talking points in order to keep being asked back.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by shadetail.us1808 (January 28, 2010 1:47 pm ET)
           
        *ahem*

        Giuliani has *never* been a moderate guy. He's always been a hustler, in it for himself and nobody else. Back when he was the mayor, he ran the city as if he was a mob boss, and it made him deeply unpopular. He was just "lucky" enough to have a disaster happen while he was there, and was able to carefully modulate his image while the nation's TV cameras were on him.

        New Yorkers have always known the truth about him. And the truth is this: the selfish hyper-partisan we see today is the only Giuliani that has ever existed.
        Report Abuse
      • Author by raddave43 (January 29, 2010 12:13 am ET)
        2  
        Yeah, but he went the way of McCain and is trying not to get out coservertized by the rest of the GOP.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by TBetz (January 28, 2010 12:57 pm ET)
         
      Giuliani moved his lips again?

      Report Abuse
    • Author by everettbme (January 28, 2010 1:14 pm ET)
      4  
      Giuli is right. President Obama never once mentioned the band "War" in his speech.
      Report Abuse
    • Author by Romario (January 28, 2010 1:15 pm ET)
      2  
      Sheesh...Rudy again? Did he even listen to the speech?
      Report Abuse
      • Author by nerzog (January 28, 2010 2:12 pm ET)
        6 1
        I'm guessing they taped this segment before the speech. Obama could have said anything and the response from the Troglodytes would have been the same.
        Report Abuse
        • Author by DellDolly (January 28, 2010 2:44 pm ET)
          2 1
          It's possible, but they DO get an embargoed copy of the speech ahead of time, so it's not an excuse. All the news rooms have a copy of the speech, nowadays a soft copy almost assuredly. Which means that they could do a simple "Control-F" search for the words in that soft copy.

          BTW, I know you weren't trying to create an excuse for Giuliani - your description of the 'troglodytes' was the tip-off.
          Report Abuse
        • Author by southerngal (January 28, 2010 2:51 pm ET)
          1 4
          Nerzog, I got your joke.
          Report Abuse
      • Author by islandsun9 (January 28, 2010 6:05 pm ET)
           
        Sheesh...Rudy again? Did he even listen to the speech?

        Spending to much time using viagra, and wondering why that blue pill doesn't help him
        Report Abuse
    • Author by What Happened to Gannon (January 28, 2010 1:38 pm ET)
      4 1
      Maybe Rudy is auditioning to become the fourth stooge on Fox & Fiends
      Report Abuse
    • Author by VictorLaszlo (January 28, 2010 1:50 pm ET)
      5  
      The proper response to Rudy "oops I forgot about 9/11" Giuliani's 'accusation' is not "Oh yes he did say 'war!'"

      The proper response is "this sick freak thinks that you measure the quality of a speech by counting the incidences of the word 'war?' Whyis this clueless moron in my newspaper?"

      The Right pulls this stunt all the time.

      1. Accuse Democrats of not joining in Idiotic Republican Behavior X.

      2. Watch and laugh as spineless, clueless Dems uncritically accept your frame, and insist that they are in fact strongly in favor of Idiotic Republican Behavior X.

      3. Profit!
      Report Abuse
    • Author by sluggo (January 28, 2010 1:51 pm ET)
      4  
      Since this was on FOX, anything is possible.

      As long as FOX is going to allow people like Rudy to present nonsense "analysis" of this speech, why stop at "not using the word War"?

      I am sure they could find someone to blast the President for not using a lot of words ("rhinoceros", "artichoke", "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious").

      Perhaps Glenn Beck is up to this task, as long as he has room on his little blackboard.
      Report Abuse
      • Author by nerzog (January 28, 2010 2:13 pm ET)
        5  
        Glenda is too busy hiding under his desk, because he's on Obama's "Enemies List".
        Report Abuse
    • Author by Johaely (January 28, 2010 5:45 pm ET)
         
      And that was important because...
      Report Abuse
    • Author by fantagor (January 28, 2010 5:53 pm ET)
      4  
      What is the GOP's fascination with word choice? Say that Obama didn't say war even once. BFD. What material impact would that have on the two wars in progress? Do wars cease to be if presidents fail to use the word? I didn't know wars were so fragile.

      Randy
      Report Abuse
      • Author by DellDolly (January 28, 2010 7:41 pm ET)
        3  
        They have found it's a good derailment technique.

        They can't win having a fair debate on the issues. The only way they can win is by poisoning our national discourse with lies, distortions, and omissions of relevant information to form a toxic stew that no one can muddle their way through.

        That's why they do it.

        They also do it because they want to stoke the fear factor - that was a winning strategy for them in a couple of elections. War scares people, ya know.
        Report Abuse
    • Author by GreenLantern (January 28, 2010 11:28 pm ET)
      3  
      9-11, 9-11, 9-11 look at me, look at me, look at me.
      (hehe I am using the deaths of thousands to make me rich hehehe)
      Report Abuse
    • Author by proudObamasupporter (January 29, 2010 9:30 am ET)
         
      I guess we are at a point in history where the president has a list of words he must use in every speech in order to make it legitimate, or in order to please everybody. WHAT? Since we all know he can not please everybody, who the heck cares about someone as insignificant as Rudy Giuliani?
      Report Abuse

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