Newsradio 850 KOA host Mike Rosen repeated a Republican talking point on his May 7 show in claiming that “George Bush never said, 'Mission accomplished' ” when the president declared the “end of major combat operations in Iraq” on May 1, 2003, in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

While it is true Bush never said the words “mission accomplished” in the speech, Rosen omitted mention that slightly more than a month later, Bush told U.S. troops in Qatar that “America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat and to liberate an oppressed people, and that mission has been accomplished,” as Media Matters for America has pointed out. Rosen also did not note former Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld's reported statement that he took the phrase “mission accomplished” out of a draft of Bush's speech, as The Washington Post noted in a May 4 article.

During his show, Rosen stated that on “May 1st, last week, Democrats, left-wing activists, peace groups made a big deal over the fourth anniversary of President Bush's alleged 'Mission Accomplished' speech on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln four years earlier -- predictably.” Rosen also claimed, “George Bush never said, 'Mission accomplished.' And the 'mission accomplished' that the sailors on that aircraft carrier were referring to was quite a different mission accomplished.” Rosen later added, “It's now taken on its own folklore, and people accept it as a fact that President Bush announced that our mission in Iraq was accomplished.”

Later in the broadcast, Rosen read a 2006 "Open letter to Democrats and the liberal media" from retired Navy Capt. Gerry Spaulding, which defended Bush's declaration of the end of major combat operations as accurate and asserted that Bush “never said 'mission accomplished.' ” Spaulding wrote that “the phrase 'major combat operations' means army on army, tank on tank, air force on air force, etc.” Spaulding further stated that “Bush was exactly correct when he said 'major combat operations have ended,' because the Iraqi military had been utterly defeated and -- on their own -- disbanded and went into hiding among the general population.” Spaulding also claimed that the “Mission Accomplished” banner was meant to signify the Lincoln's completion of a “lengthy, unscheduled second deployment,” not the overall military objective in Iraq. According to Spaulding's letter, as read by Rosen, when the ship's crew “learned the president would be making a speech from the flight deck of their ship, the crew of the Lincoln asked permission to hang that sign to let their families and the world share in their pride.”

After reading the letter Rosen concluded, “I hope that sets the record straight.” However, as the Washington Post reported in its May 4 article:

Bush never actually used the words “mission accomplished” that day, and the White House has long argued that although it created the banner, it did so only in response to a request by the ship to indicate that its long deployment was over and not to indicate that the mission in Iraq was complete. But that explanation has been undermined by none other than Rumsfeld, who was in charge of the Pentagon at the time.

In a little-noticed interview with The Washington Post's Bob Woodward published last year in Woodward's book “State of Denial,” Rumsfeld said the phrase “mission accomplished” was not about the ship's deployment but in fact was a White House message originally included in Bush's speech. “I took 'Mission Accomplished' out,” Rumsfeld said. “I was in Baghdad and I was given a draft of that thing and I just died. And I said, it's too inclusive. And I fixed it and sent it back. They fixed the speech but not the sign.”

According to a passage from State of Denial (Simon & Schuster, 2006):

Bush and his staff were borderline giddy. The president's speechwriters, including Michael Gerson, drafted an address that echoed the formal surrender of Japan on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri at the end of World War II. The draft borrowed General [Douglas] MacArthur's memorable remarks -- “the guns are silent” -- and according to Rumsfeld included the line “Mission Accomplished.”

The Missouri was not available -- it was now a memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii -- but the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was at sea off the coast of San Diego.

“I took 'Mission Accomplished' out,” Rumsfeld recalled. “I was in Baghdad and I was given a draft of that thing and I just died. And I said, it's too inclusive. And I fixed it and sent it back. They fixed the speech but not the sign.”

On May 1, Bush, the former Texas Air National Guard pilot, landed dramatically on the Lincoln, riding in the second seat of a Navy anti-submarine warplane. Later, after trading his military flight suit for a suit and tie, he addressed the nation and the world, standing before 5,000 of the crew under a huge banner reading “Mission Accomplished.” The Lincoln's crew had been told over the ship's public address system that after the president officially came aboard, “you'll be allowed to cheer as loudly as possible, and you'll be encouraged to show your affection.” The White House later claimed the “Mission Accomplished” sign had been the Navy's idea. Rumsfeld is the first to say “Mission Accomplished” was in the White House draft speech. (Pages 186-187)

The Post article also noted that "[t]his week, for the first time, the White House publicly disagreed" with Rumsfeld and quoted White House counsel Dan Bartlett as saying, " 'I think he's [Rumsfeld] gotten confused. There was discussion about how to phrase the end of major combat operations' but not whether to say 'mission accomplished.' " But as the Post further noted, whether the words “mission accomplished” originally were in the speech or not, “Bush did use a variation of it just a month later during a speech to troops in Kuwait (sic). 'America sent you on a mission to remove a grave threat and to liberate an oppressed people, and that mission has been accomplished,' he said on June 5, 2003.”

Similarly, as CNN reported on October 29, 2003, Bush's May 1 speech was delivered amidst much theatricality, including his landing on the carrier in a Navy S-3B Viking (which was marked with the words “Navy 1” and “George W. Bush Commander in Chief”) and his exiting the plane dressed in a flight suit. Although at the end of the speech Bush said, “Our mission continues,” his rhetoric at the beginning conveyed a sweeping message of military accomplishment:

In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment -- yet, it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other, made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free. (Applause.)

From the May 7 broadcast of Newsradio 850 KOA's The Mike Rosen Show:

ROSEN: There's been a, a great deal of confusion about what actually happened four years ago on the deck of the [USS Abraham] Lincoln. And when we come back from this break I'd like to share with you an email I got last year at this time from Captain Gerry Spaulding, United States Navy retired, who clarified exactly what happened on the deck of the Lincoln, which is quite different from the impression you've no doubt gotten in the liberal media, from Democrats, and from left-wing activist groups. George Bush never said, “Mission accomplished.” And the “mission accomplished” that the sailors on that aircraft carrier were referring to was quite a different mission accomplished. I'll, I'll recollect that when we come back after this on Newsradio 850 KOA.

[...]

ROSEN: May 1st, last week, Democrats, left-wing activists, peace groups made a big deal over the fourth anniversary of President Bush's alleged “Mission Accomplished” speech on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln four years earlier -- predictably. Today show did something on this. It's now taken on its own folklore, and people accept it as a fact that President Bush announced that our mission in Iraq was accomplished.

A year ago I got an email from Captain Gerry Spaulding, United States Navy retired. Sent me a copy of his “Open letter to Democrats and the liberal media.” Let me read it. He said, “Yesterday, 1 May 2006” -- this was a year ago that he sent me this -- “you had a field day marking the third anniversary” -- now the fourth anniversary -- “of President Bush's landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln to deliver what you relish in mischaracterizing as his 'Mission Accomplished' speech. First, he never said 'mission accomplished.' What he said was -- quote -- 'Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed and now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country' -- end quote. For you uninitiated media twerps and so-called leaders of the Democrat party, the phrase 'major combat operations' means army on army, tank on tank, air force on air force, et cetera. That's what the phrase has always meant. Bush was exactly correct when he said, 'Major combat operations have ended,' because the Iraqi military had been utterly defeated and on their own disbanded and went into hiding among the general population. He was also correct in saying, 'Now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.' He was defining the next mission, one in which we are still engaged.

”Now, about that 'Mission Accomplished' sign." That big banner that was photographed on the deck of the Lincoln. “Surely you recall that the Lincoln was on her way home from a long deployment at the time the war started. She was turned around before reaching port and sent back out on a lengthy, unscheduled second deployment in support of the war. When the president landed on her deck she was finally on her way home from that unscheduled second deployment and was very proud of the fact that she had accomplished the additional mission laid on her even as Lincoln families had been anticipating the imminent return of their loved ones. And, as you know, when they learned the president would be making a speech from the flight deck of their ship, the crew of the Lincoln asked permission to hang that sign to let their families and the world share in their pride. Every time you idiots politicize the 'Mission Accomplished' banner, you denigrate not only the crew of the Abraham Lincoln but every military unit that feels pride in accomplishing its mission on behalf of its country. Shame on you. Shame on you.”

That from Gerry Spaulding, capt -- captain, U.S. Navy retired. I hope that sets the record straight.