The article repeats the lie about Bush. The banner stating "Mission Accomplished" had to do with the USS Abraham Lincoln returning from its 10 month deployment, and nothing to do with Bush's speech. Bush's speech referred to major combat operations ending, nothing about a mission being accomplished.
Really? If so - and I don’t know if that is the case or after the fact spin - it was stupid of Bush because it created a perception in American minds that our job was over. Rather than being prepped for a long haul war we had to endure the drip-drip-drip of decade swallowing and budget busting nation building occupation.
Bush’s invasion of Iraq was a disaster and a piece of stupidity from the get-go. Haggling over what he meant by doing a photo op under a “mission accomplished” sign, is irrelevant.
In the war between Perception ad Reality, Perception always wins. Mission Accomplished.
I lost count the number of times I spent trying to explain that the Banner was there because the Aircraft Carrier completed its Mission.
The hatred of President Bush wouldn’t allow the Facts to be considered by the People I was addressing.
It is possible that what you describe as the reason for The Mission Accomplished statement as pertaining to the ship’s mission may be true. However, at the time, no attempt was made by the Bush administration to correct the impression it pertained to the War on Terror. My son was in the military and I was paying close attention.
Optics matter
Absolutely correct!! It’s a shame too few Conservatives are aware of this fact or simply don’t care.
The MSM knew but were all too happy to lie about the real reason it was put up.
To those who point out that Bush didn’t stand up to his many critics who used inaccurate and outright false accusations to smear him you do have a valid argument.
However, that doesn’t change why the “mission Accomplished” sign was put up. Gen. Franks spelled it out very clearly in his book “American Soldier”.