I've heard it all before

By Creature

The broken record presidency. Yesterday:

"We will defeat the terrorists and expand freedom across the world, we'll protect the American homeland and work tirelessly to prevent attacks on our country," he said. "The terrorists remain determined to destroy innocent life on a massive scale, and we must be equally determined to stop them."

I could have sworn I have heard this rhetoric before. Bill, Ted, fire up the phone booth because we're going on a most excellent, if not depressing, rhetorical adventure.

The president speaks to Congress soon after that horrible, horrible day. Sept. 20, 2001:

Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom, the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time, now depends on us.

Our nation, this generation, will lift the dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail.

A year later the president continues his tireless, freedom-loving ways. Jan 29, 2002:

Steadfast in our purpose, we now press on. We have known freedom's price. We have shown freedom's power. And in this great conflict, my fellow Americans, we will see freedom's victory.

One more year forward and we find the mission accomplished, yet somehow the war rages on. May 1, 2003:

The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. Our government has taken unprecedented measures to defend the homeland and we will continue to hunt down the enemy before he can strike.

The war on terror is not over, yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide.

It's not over yet, but that's okay, our will is strong. Jan. 20, 2004:

As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom will do all in their power to spread violence and fear. They are trying to shake the will of our country and our friends, but the United States of America will never be intimidated by thugs and assassins.

Almost done, one year forward. You would figure after four years freedom's march would be done already, no? March 8, 2005:

This objective will not be achieved easily, or all at once, or primarily by force of arms. We know that freedom, by definition, must be chosen, and that the democratic institutions of other nations will not look like our own. Yet we also know that our security increasingly depends on the hope and progress of other nations now simmering in despair and resentment. And that hope and progress is found only in the advance of freedom.

Freedom, freedom, freedom. It will not be achieved easily. We will not be intimidated. They will not shake us. Freedom's enemies are not idle. We are steadfast. We will press on. We will not tire.

I'll give the president this much: five years on, he certainly is consistent. Wrong, but consistent. We have tired. We have tired of the broken-record-rhetoric.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)