THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH – AT 8:40 A.M. ET:  The president delivered a passionless speech last night that struck many pundits as odd and distant.  He clearly doesn't feel comfortable as commander-in-chief.

The president marked the end of American combat operations in Iraq, itself a strange occasion on which to make a speech.  After all, some 50,000 American troops remain, and they are at risk.

Before the speech, Paul Mirengoff at Power Line wrote this:

...there are complications for Obama, the most important of which is that he opposed the policy that turned the situation in Iraq around, namely the surge. How to deal with this inconvenient truth?

It actually shouldn't be very difficult. Obama could simply give credit to President Bush for launching the surge. A gracious word about his predecessor would improve Obama's image. After all, he won office in part by promising to transcend partisan finger-pointing. And by exhibiting a little grace for a change, Obama would make it seem churlish for anyone to point the finger at him over his misguided thinking about the surge.

Perhaps Obama will rise above his perpetual pettiness and turn his speech into a bi-partisan feel-good event. Obama reportedly called former president Bush this morning. That might be a good sign.

It wasn't a good sign, and, unfortunately, Paul's advice wasn't followed.  While Mr. Obama mentioned Mr. Bush, he limited his remarks to noting his predecessor's patriotism and devotion to the troops, as if these things were ever in doubt.  He gave Bush no credit.  As John McCain said after the speech, praising Bush just isn't the kind of thing that's in Obama's DNA.

Again, no class.  And that pretty much sums up this presidency and another forgettable speech.

September 1, 2010