Obama hits back against Bush/McCain smear
Earlier this week, the president, with not-so-subtle language, suggested to the Israeli Knesset that Barack Democrats are Chamberlain-like appeasers because Obama is willing to talk to Iran (just as Bush’s own Defense Secretary and Secretary of State have recommended). As it turns out, Obama had taken the day off from the campaign trail, but the entire party had his back, and quickly and aggressively pushed back against Bush — and against John McCain for applauding Bush’s smear.
So much for days off. Yesterday, Obama campaigned in South Dakota, and demonstrated that he’s not going to give an inch of ground to Bush, McCain, or the GOP on foreign policy, statecraft, national security, and military matters.
“They’re trying to fool you. They’re trying to scare you. And they’re not telling you the truth [because] they can’t win a foreign policy debate on the merits,” Obama said. He went on to call the Bush/McCain approach “naive and irresponsible.”
This is what campaigns are all about.
Biden had it right: Bush is full of bullshit and McBush is the same. Glad to see Obama calling them out on it.
Good Morning everyone!
Obama is not going to be swift boated the way Kerry was. When someone throws a hot steaming pile of crap at him, he's going to toss it right back before it ever hits the floor.
Quick response is the best way to deal with McCain and bush's attacks.
When will Europe stop appeasing George Bush?
I used to wonder if Obama had it in him to stand up to the attacks we knew were going to come at him. After the way he handled this, all my doubts are erased. He's smart and he's quick so he's going to be fine. I feel I can trust him and I can't think of many other pols that I feel that way about.
smart? I'm not so sure. Obama decided to take personally an attack from a President whose approval ratings are in Nixon territory. Kinda dumb. The 'attack' wasn't even a good one. I could see responding to McCain and further tying him to Bush. But respond directly to the maniacal rantings of a discredited moron? Not so much.
Speaking truth to power. What a concept.
rooth hussein @ 6:
It wsn't though. Bush has no power. He's lame as can be. Obama actually legitimize him more than he deserve. The Kerry (etc) comparisons do not apply. Respond to McCain, yes. Bush? heh, you do a favor to a man trying find relevance.
Today, Barack will get blind-sided by Pantsuit on this issue?
#5, "smart? I’m not so sure. Obama decided to take personally an attack from a President whose approval ratings are in Nixon territory. Kinda dumb. The ‘attack’ wasn’t even a good one. I could see responding to McCain and further tying him to Bush. But respond directly to the maniacal rantings of a discredited moron? Not so much."
I disagree. As stupid as we think Bush's lies are, he keeps getting away with them because nobody consistently stands up to him and his lies get endlessly repeated by the RW smear machine and the next thing you know, they become accepted - like the lie that Saddam was behind 9/11. How many Americans still believe that?
Don't forget, we aren't dealing with a well educated adversary, but they are relentless.
Did you see Chris Matthews confront that RW radio guy yesterday? The guy was ranting about Bush being right, that Obama is an appeaser. Matthews kept insisting the guy explain both appeasement and the specifics of what Neville Chamberlain had done that was appeasement. The guy couldn't do it. He didn't know. He was cluless about this very important piece of our history and he still wouldn't shut up, he kept trying to yell his ignorance over Matthews. Like Dana Perino, Bush's Press secretary, not knowing what the Bay of Pigs was about. Or Michael Medved's theory that there is a genetic predisposition in Americans to be successful risk takers - but only the white Americans.
They love their bigoted hateful opinions and are completely unashamed that they have no facts to back them up. They need to be immediately busted everytime they spout another lie. We need to be quick to bust them and equally relentless.
The fact that they are shameless criminal liars needs to be a national meme, not just a liberal one.
ww @ 5:
You couldn't be more wrong. It's very smart of Obama to respond so to Bush's attack precisely because of Bush's approval (or really disapproval) rating, Bush's lack of stature on the world political stage, and Bush's miserable record on everything.
Responding so vehemently against an attack by such an idiot is the only reasonable way to deal with this sort of thing. If Bush was a beloved, respected president, such a response would have damaged Obama in the eyes of undecided voters. Showing strength against weakness, stupidity, corruption, and incompetence is always a good thing.
By taking on what bush said, Obama showed himself not to be intimidated or afraid to speak back to anyone when he feels he has been wrongly attacked. This shows the world that Obama can smack down the even his own president. I would imagine other nations took notice and admired Obama's strength and courage. Over these past almost eight years, everyone has sat back and feared contradicting anything bush has said or done. I find it refreshing and hopeful to see someone fight back against just one more of bush's lies.
Bush is nothing but a concern troll as Preznit. Unfortunately he's a concern troll with a free soapbox.
The fact that they are shameless criminal liars needs to be a national meme, not just a liberal one.
Thanks Rooth. This just bears repeating.
Good we have blogs now because the corporate traditional media would never have covered this rebuttal. This is brilliant. Obama will not be smeared and swiftboated and he links George McCain and John McBush together. Love it, love it, love it. Karl Rovian dirty tricks, distractions and smears won't work this time round. I really liked how Obama launched into all the ways the GOP has made us less save. Can't wait till the debates when Obama takes McBush to the cleaners and forces out that hair trigger temper of McBush. This is going to be fun. McBush is way out of his league.
GET EM OBAMA!!
I'd like to see Obama buy some air time, and sit down and talk to some normal Iraqis about how they feel about the occupation, and how the conditions of living in Iraq have changed the last 5 years.
Don't see how anyone can say this wasn't smart. In one fell swoop he started the GE, he tied Bush to McCain, he's put McCain in a situation where HE has to defend his foreign policy, and most importantly he stood up in front of the whole GOP machine and said "Bring it on, this isn't John Kerry you're dealing with this time boys".
I haven't heard the clip of Bush since maybe the day it happened, but I seem to recall he used his disgusting, always slimy construction "some would say..." Not saying who would say, not even coming with proof that ANYONE says any such thing. Maybe he used the construction with a different stupid message besides the negotiation = Nazi appeasement, but I think it was this one. So, anyway, maybe those "some" he was referring to ARE the people in his administration and he's putting them on notice. I'm sure that's not it, but with that construction they can (and are) playing it off as innocent. Wow, sorry this was rambling, maybe not understandable... I just woke up.
First Daughter Jenna Pregnant: Bush Warns Against ‘Appease-iotomy’
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1829
Heard this morning that Pelosi is in Baghdad today. Not sure what her plan might be but I sure hope she tells the Iraqis we're on our way out and gets the ball rolling before president Obama has to start dealing with it.
Matthews exposed Kevin James for the fool he is. So I don't see where this supports a position that Barack should respond to everything.
I agree we should push back. Barack went on and on about it. A dismissive snark hurled Bush's way would've dispatched him and dissed him simultaneously, denying him any legitimacy. Anyway, I thought it could've been handled better. The expression was 'smart'. It could have been done smarter. YMMV Haaretz on the subject for those interested.
WW: Bush has no power???
Last time I checked, they were still letting him in the White House. And he has always derived more power through his lies and crimes than he ever did through legitimate means, so why do you think he has no power now that he is a lame duck? He can still write Executive Orders, can't he? And his Executive Orders are where he has illegitimately claimed most of his extra-presidential powers. Nothing has changed there.
The rights he has decimated are still denied us, like habeus corpus. Gitmo is still holding people without charges or trials. We are still being spied on by our government. We are still in Iraq and he's setting the stage for us to be there for generations. He still believes he has the right to declare war all by himself - and if he starts another war, are you dreaming that anyone will stop him before the bombs start falling on another country?
I am amazed by those who think that now that there is less than a year left of Bush in office, that we should all sit back and wait for him to leave. What is there in his past behavior that would lead anyone to think that he will quit being a sociopath because the clock is running down? If anything, I expect a frenzy of last minute glutting, looting, and massive ass-covering - up to and including a nice distracting war to shift our attention away from his other crimes.
Anonymous Source @ 17:
I just read on Wikipedia last night that these "attributions" are called Weasel Words. A perfect description for the sort of people who use them.
ww @ 20:
I don't want a president who makes a "dismissive snark" when verbally attacked. That sounds like bush's MO. I want a president who not only fires back but has facts to back up what he says.
Yeah GW's lame - and the more it's accentuated the better.
And McCain is just as lame .. and that MUST be made 100% totally crystal clear ..
And Obama did it!
He took this clearly Partisan Attack from a Sitting President on Foreign Soil .. and turned it into GOLD.
I only wish someone would say it loud and clear:
Had it not been for the American Fascists - Prescott Bush, George Herbert Walker, Averell Harriman, and Henry Ford - Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party would NEVER have come to power. George Bush's Family brought Hitler to power.
Hitler was a tyrant
Hitler polarized his people against gays and minorities
Hitler kept his political ambitions hidden from his own people and the rest of the world
Hitler spent huge sums of money building up a military industrial complex
Hitler launched attacks against other nations in pre-emtive wars.
Hitler rounded up innocents, killed and tortured hundreds of thousands of people
There are Hitler comparisons to be made for sure. But not directed towards Obama.
Obama and his campaign people have it right. The key is rapid response; When Bush or one of his flunkies attacks, hit back - NOW! Don't wait for the MSM to make the smear conventional wisdom. After Kerry in '04, it refreshing to see a candidate who understands the nature of campaigning against the GOP smear machine. GO BAMA 08!
why doesn;t he debunk the real lie here, the lie that Iran is the new Nazi Germany, and the lie that ahmedinejad wants to wipe israel "off the map", which is the biggest lie ever sold and has been debunked ad nauseam
Atilla the Hungry @ 3:
Most of Europe detests the Chimp
I posted this in another comment section, but it bears repetition here.
Richard Armitage has provided diplomatic muscle for the Republicans for years. Iran Contra, for instance.
So his remarks carry exceptional weight in this matter.
MountainMan23 @ 61:
rooth hussein @ 21:
Another , NSPD51 and the 'Civil Assistance Plan' scares me.
ww@20, "Matthews exposed Kevin James for the fool he is. So I don’t see where this supports a position that Barack should respond to everything."
Yes, Mathews exposed that fool. That's one. How many millions to go? And if Barack hadn't jumped on this, would Matthews have done that?
Rush Limpballs didn't brainwash his dittoheads overnight, deprogramming is going to take a lot of consistent work, starting with stopping every lie before it gets a foothold.
If Kerry had stopped the Swift Boaters, would there ever have been those stupid Purple Heart bandaids that the Repukes were wearing, mocking wounded vets?
Lies are like weeds, you have to pull them before they take root or they'll take over the whole garden before you know it.
One letter writer said it best this morning in the NYT Opinion section:
"Appeasement is letting Al-Qaeda hide out in Pakistan."
I like the way Obama can make shrub look like the worthless, stupid, quivering coward that he is without even trying.
With regard to Bush's "appeasement" remarks, I heard a couple of the rightwing pundits say Obama needs to get over being so "sensitive" and "prickly." For God's sake, the Obama man took over the 24-hour news cycle TWICE this week!! He's killing them with his sensitivity!
ferrofluid@30
I couldn't list all of Bush's crimes, not enough time. That's kind of my point, how much of what he has done was outside of normal presidential powers? That hasn't stopped him, neither will being a lame duck. I don't think anything will stop him until he has actually been removed from the presidency.
Relaxing because it's an election year wil not serve us well.
Once again Obama is forced to defend himself, with intelligence and focus, from the talking point BS from the right. It's real simple: There's a difference between the words discussion and negotiation. Obama wants a discussion. Obama wants a discussion. Obama wants a ......
Unfortunately the American public doesn't have the ability to read or hear through the surface of the garbage put out by the Republicans. Obama, though, is so clear and concise in his speeches, that one would have to be really underdeveloped to not understand.
rooth hussein @ 35:
Agreed, the only time to relax is when Chimpy is either in the Colorado Supermax, or out of the USA fleeing south to Paraguay.
pfeld@36
Exactly. That's why Obama was smart to hit this head on and turn it to his advantage, into a discussion on the failures of Bush's (lack of) foreign policy and McSame's embrace of all things Bush.
Bush and his minions looked like the sniveling liars they are because they were immediately called out by Obama and put on the defensive.
And I doubt if Israel missed Obama's point that Hamas is stronger after 8 years of Bush than it was before, and Israel is under more of a threat now than it was before Bush.
ferrofluid @ 28:
Just as most of our enemies love Chimp because he runs America into the ground and makes us less safe for future attacks.
I was actually at the event yesterday morning and was thrilled when Senator Obama indicated he would be altering the format some to respond to Bush's attacks. What the video does not convey was the reception from the crowd he received. To get a larger cheer and ovation than Senator Daschle (who introduced him) from a South Dakota crowd is pretty impressive.
But I digress...I know you guys hate Bush, it is easy to do, but I think you are ignoring one of the big parts of his speech.
That McCain had talked about the lack of civility in politics earlier in the day and then turned around and embraced the moronic comments of one of the least civil and most divisive presidents in our countries history speaks volumes. That Obama called McCain onto the carpet over his flip flopping and contradictions put a big smile on my face. He took to the offensive immediately and won't let McCain and Bush off the hook for the way they have messed up.
Obama was so right to repond quickly and decisively to IDIOT'S speech in Israel!! Kerry's mistake was not responding quickly and in doing so, too weakly. IDIOT is not finished! He will do what ever he can to help the GOP, even though he has caused so much damage to his party. He will lie, distort, attack, pardon, etc until his last few seconds in POWER. Yes, he is a "lame duck/jerk", but he can do so much more damage!! Wait and see and be vigilant!! The fact that IDIOT made this speech in a foreign country, in itself is very telling!! He has no shame!!
Lawrence O'Donnell admitted that Obama played his response "flawlessly". Obama appears to be the only adult in the discussion as McCain seems to melt down before our eyes. You almost feel sorry for the guy.
McCain out-Doles Dole by refusing to be "handled" or stay on message -- learning the wrong lesson from the primary. Every time he wings it (almost daily), he steps in it deeper. And he lacks the discipline of Hillary's campaign to execute strategy. Obama might have essentially locked up the election today, because in addition, folks like Limbaugh and Vigare are dissing McCain and writing him out of the party entirely. Talk about twisting in the wind!
Coup de gras -- Obama today was able to preemptively wrap the bluster and naive label on McCain before McCain could make that stick to Obama. Chris Matthews asks if the GOP can't win in their most solid districts during the special election, is the party is headed for oblivion. Tucker said their candidates should run away from Bush as fast as they can. But Chris said that W will refuse to go silently and still plans to act as party leader all fall. They said the result was to immediately unite the party in defense, gift-wrap legitimacy to Obama on his weakest area, and trap McCain into me-tooing in a clearly hypocritical way.
I am very glad that Obama is directly responding to the calemous charge that democrats are appeasers. It is essential for him to directly reply everytime a smear is leveled. He replied without getting personal and limited his attacks to the failed policies of Bush that McCain embraces.
Everytime Bush opens his mouth and McCain fails to repudiate it, a democrat should link them. The repubs know that Bush is radioactive for them. Its important to tether them together.
Ruthless People @ 39:
Yes, during the Clinton presidency we had good relations with a rebuilding Russia, and trade was opening up big time with China and their politics was slowing improving with some retro hiccups like Tienanmen from the Chinese old guard.
Seven years of morality free Republicanism and two pointless failed wars and myriad crimes, which showed the world that the USA was bankrupt both financially, morally and militarily, gave the old school tyrants around the world new hope for continuing repressions.
Norwood Woman @ 34:
That's the talking point today--they're all on the same page.
I'm not sure what part of "I'll debate them anytime, anywhere, and that's a debate I'll win." is being sensitive. Regardless, Obama came out swinging and managed to show the strong link between McSame and Bush.
Proud American Liberal @ 32:
We should all be writing that to our newspapers today. Get the message out!
ferrofluid @ 37: when Chimpy is either in the Colorado Supermax, or out of the USA fleeing south to Paraguay.
From your mouth to God's ear, although I wouldn't wish him on anyone else.
Countdown Clock
247 DAYS
14 Hrs 36 Min 18.2 Sec
EconProf@42: Well said!!
No one has called Bush on the original comment, that an unamed "American Senator" said, "If only I could have talked to Hitler..."
Who was this Senator? Does he actually exist? No one seems to know. Why don't the MSM look it up, or ask Bush who he's talking about? Does he mean Neville Chamberlain, as people assume? Does he think Neville Chamberlain was a U.S. Senator? Wouldn't surprise me.
Bush's original remarks are like Kevin James' - talking points with no facts to back them up. As far as I know, there is no "U.S. Senator."
Nancy Pelosi is in the Middle East visiting doing the "I'm in Iraq" circuit, then she'll give a speech to Israel's parliament on Monday.
You know important stuff that she was elected to do. Which is pretty much nothing.
♠Bangkok-Bob♠ @ 48:
247 DAYS
14 Hrs 36 Min 18.2 Sec . . . Until the biggest barrel of shit in U.S. history becomes the next Prez's downfall.
ok. I understand that Obama's response to Bush's speech before the Israeli Knesset is popular with his supporters, and that is fine. However, I was responding to the comment that it was was "smart". I'm sure that's the opinion of his base. Fine. Its a big world out there.
People are driving off into the weeds. Barack wasn't "forced" to respond, he choose to respond to remarks that had plausible deny-abilty that they were directed at him. Barack insured it was about him. That can and will be seen as presumptuous, not to mention politically naive. It's also been brought up that is was smart because Barack started the GE with his remarks. That too will be seen as presumptuous and, politically, not smart. Like it or not Barack cannot win the GE simply by having his current base clap louder. Being insensitive to the rest of the party just isn't wise, especially when he isn't the official nominee yet.
There were ways to handle his response that would have included these considerations that would have been just as pleasing to his base while being more generally effective.
Barrack is a gifted orator. He has to wisen up before reacting in front of a mic.
L.A. Confidential @ 51:
Well not nothing but . . .you know programs focused on high-minded objectives w the consequences to working people be damned.
http://tinyurl.com/478qut
I thought it was interesting that while I was watching bush and mccain talking about Obama being an appeaser, the crawl at the bottom of the screen on CNN-International was "Osama Bin Ladin says he will wage war against the Israeli's" So after 6.5 years bush has done nothing to get rid of him.
Who is the appeaser?
50 Dot Says: No one has called Bush on the original comment, that an unamed “American Senator” said, “If only I could have talked to Hitler…”
Who was this Senator?
Maybe he meant THIS one:
George Bush's grandfather, the late US senator Prescott Bush, was a director and shareholder of companies that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany.
The Guardian has obtained confirmation from newly discovered files in the US National Archives that a firm of which Prescott Bush was a director was involved with the financial architects of Nazism.
His business dealings, which continued until his company's assets were seized in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act, has led more than 60 years later to a civil action for damages being brought in Germany against the Bush family by two former slave labourers at Auschwitz and to a hum of pre-election controversy.
The evidence has also prompted one former US Nazi war crimes prosecutor to argue that the late senator's action should have been grounds for prosecution for giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Dot@50
Keith Olbermann jumped on that right away. It was some Republican.
What surprises me is the total media vacuum on Bush grandfather and the fact the the Bush family profited off of dealing with Hitler during WWII until they were FINED by the US Government for doing business with Hitler while WWII was going on.
That's right, kiddies, part of the cash that was used to buy Bush the presidency was earned helping Hitler.
That's beyond appeasement, that's treason.
And when will the MSM start talking about that? I mean, really, if Obama's grade school was an issue, surely Grandpa Bush's Nazi past is worth talking about in light of Bush's latest rantings.
L.A. Confidential @ 52:
You better the believe the low-life liars of the GOP would blame Obama for the BushCo chickens that come home to roost in the years to come and that the GOP saboteurs in congress will do everything they can to try to make sure America fails under Obama's watch. And if it ever came out that Obama even so much as had an over due library book in high school the GOP would try to overthrow the election by launching impeachment proceedings against him. America will never be safe until the voters put the GOP is deep in minority status and render them powerless.
I've looked at the video of Kevin James again and realized how this stooge let the cat out of the bag on his piss poor performance. When Timmy first asked Kevin about what Chamberlain did wrong the reply was that "it all goes back to appeasement, that's the key term, that's the key term Chris".
Hopefully that will be the last we see of Mr. James, a stooge for the rightwing who showed his unsuitability to be a TV pundit through his lack of knowledge about a historical event he was attempting to use to help frame a debate that Obama is an appeaser. I think Mr. James might also have less than desirable physical features to become a regular TV personality (which is the only reason I can think of as to why HE would want to appear on a national TV program to defend something he obviously knows nothing about). Physically his mouth opens more on the right side than on the left and it looks like he's talking out of the side of his mouth. I also was annoyed by his mannerism of tilting his head to the left which accentuated the crooked mouth and the sound of his voice as he began shouting the key term for all to hear. He needs to stick to radio and let people create their own image of the face behind the voice in their minds.
ww@53, It's almost as is you are intentionally trying not to get it......
1. "Barack wasn’t “forced” to respond, he choose to respond to remarks that had plausible deny-abilty that they were directed at him."
Apparently you missed the two WH aides who gave interviews saying this was directed at Obama.
2. "Barack insured it was about him. That can and will be seen as presumptuous, not to mention politically naive." Obama is one if only two who will be the nominee, and therefore one of the leaders of the Dem Party. If it wasn't about him, (and it was, see #1), then it was about the Party he leads and therefore he was right to respond.
Ignoring it would have been a stroll down Swift Boat Lane.
3. "It’s also been brought up that is was smart because Barack started the GE with his remarks. That too will be seen as presumptuous and, politically, not smart." How is it presumptious to act like what he is, the frontrunner?
4. "Like it or not Barack cannot win the GE simply by having his current base clap louder. Being insensitive to the rest of the party just isn’t wise, especially when he isn’t the official nominee yet." Apparently Clinton, Biden and the rest of the Party disagree with you, since they all came out before Obama and showed support to Obama and called Bush/McSame out on there bullshit. So what are you talking about?
5. "There were ways to handle his response that would have included these considerations that would have been just as pleasing to his base while being more generally effective." We are so far beyond "pleasing" a base. I mean, really, are you kidding. that sounds like Karl Rove's advice to Dems.
6. "Barrack is a gifted orator." Yes, and this was another example of why he is. This was no knee-jerk reaction, this was a studied, measured response that called Bush out for the lying fear-monger he is. And it was well-done.
5 ww Says: smart? I’m not so sure. Obama decided to take personally an attack from a President whose approval ratings are in Nixon territory. Kinda dumb. The ‘attack’ wasn’t even a good one. I could see responding to McCain and further tying him to Bush. But respond directly to the maniacal rantings of a discredited moron? Not so much.
================
When the discredited moron has the world as his stage i can't possibly think of a better time to respond.
Where's Hillary?
She seems much more of a private citizen all of a sudden. Didn't she has some kind of a vote thing happen last Tuesday?
53 ww Says: ok. I understand that Obama’s response to Bush’s speech before the Israeli Knesset is popular with his supporters, and that is fine. However, I was responding to the comment that it was was “smart”. I’m sure that’s the opinion of his base. Fine. Its a big world out there.
People are driving off into the weeds. Barack wasn’t “forced” to respond, he choose to respond to remarks that had plausible deny-abilty that they were directed at him. Barack insured it was about him. That can and will be seen as presumptuous, not to mention politically naive. It’s also been brought up that is was smart because Barack started the GE with his remarks. That too will be seen as presumptuous and, politically, not smart. Like it or not Barack cannot win the GE simply by having his current base clap louder. Being insensitive to the rest of the party just isn’t wise, especially when he isn’t the official nominee yet.
There were ways to handle his response that would have included these considerations that would have been just as pleasing to his base while being more generally effective.
Barrack is a gifted orator. He has to wisen up before reacting in front of a mic.
=====================================
A good campaign manager you are not.
Ruthless@58,
"You better the believe the low-life liars of the GOP would blame Obama for the BushCo chickens that come home to roost in the years to come and that the GOP saboteurs in congress will do everything they can to try to make sure America fails under Obama’s watch. And if it ever came out that Obama even so much as had an over due library book in high school the GOP would try to overthrow the election by launching impeachment proceedings against him. America will never be safe until the voters put the GOP is deep in minority status and render them powerless."
Exactly why Bush should not be allowed to slink away free, ala Nixon and Reagan. They were allowed to break the law with impunity. Yeah, Nixon had to quit. So what. When the hell has quitting your job become the same as being held accountable for breaking the law? Because Nixon walked, the GOP imediately started covering up for him and acting like it was no big deal. And, never forget, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld and a host of others who Bush has surrounded himself with were part of that.
Cheney and Rumsfeld were back with Reagan and he totally got away with breaking the law, dealing with terrorists and selling them weapons to kill Americans with. He not only got away with it, they've tried to grant him sainthood.
Nobody even blinked when Reagan was anonymously "given" a $3,000,000 ranch upon leaving office.
If we don't clean house of all these criminals and hold them accountable for their crimes, including Bush and Cheney, then this will never end. Whoever gets elected will face a disinformation onslaught that will put the last 8 years to shame.
And that's if Obama even makes it into office without being assassinated. And that's no joke, just ask Huckabee.
what a job Obama has before him. He has astute advisers, i would assume, who have told him what to expect. WE all knew in advance that the next president was going to be left with cleaning up the mess of the spoiled child (That characterization is too kind, he should be termed, The ruthless crook or worse) who occupied the office for last eight years. In attempting to right this ship called the United States, he will be deemed inadequate, inexperienced, and really not up to the task, this all by the republican conservative element who created the quagmire. He will need the support of all of us once he achieves the office. It will not be enough to be president. He will have to have a supportive congress that will support the measures that will be proposed.
The republicans won't even be a back thought in this process. I stongly suspect with the price of gas, the housing market and foreclosureswhat they are , and the dead count rising on both sides in the Iraq occupation that the US will finally come to its senses. If there is any hope to save this country, drastic measures must be taken now, and at the risk of sounding too dramatic, even that may not be enough. WE are in trouble.
BOSTON GLOBE SAYS:
no longer a proud american @ 64:
Too True!!!!!
disagree. As stupid as we think Bush’s lies are, he keeps getting away with them because nobody consistently stands up to him and his lies get endlessly repeated by the RW smear machine and the next thing you know, they become accepted - like the lie that Saddam was behind 9/11. How many Americans still believe that? quoting number 9, I would agree. Bush needs to be called on his lies at every opportunity. And keep in mind, he needs to be called on them repeatedly in small sound bites that middle america can understand. Remember, they get all of their news via rush, hannity, o'reilley and fox news before they form their opinions.
I just watched Obama's speech (here) for the first time. McCain is toast. He can't compete with strong thoughtful arguments from a man like Obama. I can't wait for the debates.
I've composed a letter to the editor--any feedback would be appreciated (would it be more effective to only repeat what the letter writer to NYT wrote about appeasement?):
Senator John McCain’s strong support of President Bush’s comments before the Knesset equating talking with Iran and Hamas to Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler are indicative of the type of “civil” campaign he plans to run in the general election. It took him less than an hour to depart from the higher level of discourse he had called for at a campaign stop; this is even more baffling in light of Sen. McCain’s own words after Hamas came to power: “They're [Hamas] the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that.”
Strong negotiation with the enemy is not appeasement. President Kennedy averted the Cuban missile crisis by talking with the enemy, and President Reagan continued to negotiate with the Soviet Union throughout his term, helping bring about the fall of the Iron Curtain. Even President Bush has talked with North Korea, a founding member of the Axis of Evil, and former terrorist state Libya, and he traveled from Israel to Saudi Arabia, the home of 15 of 19 of the 9/11 hijackers and a strong financial backer of Sunni militias in Iraq.
Appeasement is letting al Qaeda and Usama bin Laden hide out in Pakistan.
I am grateful that Senator Barack Obama recognizes what the failed policies of President Bush and Senator John McCain do not. Iran is stronger today than it has ever been, because in Iraq we have taken out the only regional check on Iran's power. It's time we return to the policies that have worked.
not negotiating here:
certainly NOT negotiating here:
Obama, just another Zionist cock sucker. I'll never vote for him or anyone who supports the Nazi-zionists.
If you haven't read about GW Bush's Family's support for Hitler and the Nazi Party, here's probably the best account, fully documented.
George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography
http://www.tarpley.net/bushb.htm
Especially Chapter Two: The Hitler Project
http://www.tarpley.net/bush2.htm
Brian @ 43:
Agreed. Obama should use the pause while McBush is being awaken to grab a microphone and get a jump on the Rove spin cycle. Show that there is an advantage to youth--speed.
71 prairiedog Says: Obama, just another Zionist cock sucker. I’ll never vote for him or anyone who supports the Nazi-zionists.
===========================
Sorta reminds me of Rush talking about "feminazis." The terms are mutually exclusive.
xoites (One White Vote for Obama) defends Constitution @ 74:
Don't you get it, xoites? Obama is a Nazier. He's Naziing them with legislation that encourages, energizes, invigorates them. That's the key term!
rooth hussein:
1. ... and a WH press secretary saying the opposite. You do know when you are being played?
2. No one said ignore. Apparently you are ignoring the actual content of Bush's remarks, and perhaps Carter's very recent attempts to facilitate talks with Hamas.
3. A Frontrunner acting like a vetted Nominee is the definition of presumptuous. Its not like Obama is walking away with the nomination. Its the closest race since ... ever.
4. Clinton and Biden showed class supporting Obama. (Barack too. He handles himself well, mostly) They have only one vote each, though. What the rest of the party electorate does is not directly controlled by either Clinton or Biden. This is politics.
5. ? um, of course politicians please their base. Beyond? They lose their gig when they stop. Representative democracies are based on constituencies by definition. Beyond? Please.
Rove? This ad hominem derogatory comment has nothing to do with anything.
6. As I said, YMMV. Good luck to you.
The sad, sad thing is that in many parts of this country there are people who don't care that Bush kinda disrespected the forum and occasion by starting a smear, people who agree 100% with his idiot view of negotiation. In the general election, this issue might get some independents away from McCain but there's a heartbreakingly high number of voters on the right who would feel empowered by the idiot "Barack Hussein Obama wants to see Iran and Hamas thrive" suggestion. And just as a reminder, 20% of the voters in the West Virginia Democratic primary were admittedly racist. That's just the percentage who flat out said race was a factor, let alone the ones who didn't own up to that. McCain has to lose for the good of this country, but the voters have disappointed us gravely before.
There are definitely people who agree with Bush and will always agree with Bush. They are not our responsibility. They will be very dissapointed in the coming years and i am hoping the coming decades. The right put up their best "solution" to democracy and the country was swayed for a bit, but it is over.
Juan Cole over at Informed Comment writes;
Remember how Tom Friedman and Bush administration spokesmen kept saying that "the next six months" would be crucial for Iraq? They said it in 2003, 2004, 2005, etc., etc. Atrios finally called them on it, terming it the "Friedman unit".
Now we have the new, improved, "McCain unit"-- which is apparently that the next four years will be crucial in Iraq. Indeed, McCain predicted "victory" by 2013, four years after he hopes to take office as the new president. Of course if victory does not come by 2013, then the next McCain unit would kick in, with the years leading up to 2017 being "crucial" for Iraq.
William Lind explains why McCain's fantasy of victory is highly unlikely to be fulfilled. Lind calls Iraq a 'fourth generation war' in which there is no real state capacity on which the US can build, and in which the enemy is shadowy and slips away before conventional forces (as in Basra, where rightwing commentators have mistaken the Mahdi Army's ability to melt away and lie low as a victory for the [non-existent] state). The US really only controls the ground on which its soldiers tread, and that reality may well not change during the next 4 years. If Lind is right, McCain is hanging US policy on a set of ideas out of the 1940s that have no application in Iraq today.
The "McCain unit" is already a public relations bust. It sounds like a timetable to Democrats. It is too far off for most people to take seriously. The beauty of the Friedman unit was that it seemed relatively near, but people could be depended to forget about its last use before it was invoked again. The "McCain unit" will tax the public's patience too much, not to mention their pocket books. His unit probably has a $1 trillion tax bill attached to it all at once. And his unit is too specific, calling for "victory." The Friedman unit was deliberately vague about what exactly would happen in the next six months that was "crucial" for Iraq.
I think we should all start using the" McCain Unit" meme. It will have an impact I think.
xoites (One White Vote for Obama) defends Constitution @ 68:
That's what everybody said about the thoughtful Mr. Gore against the moronic Mr. Bush.
xoites (One White Vote for Obama) defends Constitution @ 78:
What really scares me is that we cannot consider it over until November 5. Of course logically this country should end the right wing era. My point is there is an enormous percentage of the population who are basically antagonistic to logic, and they will be motivated to vote. I mean, how many of us were SURE Bush couldn't get reelected? I was naive enough to think people had enough by 2004. I don't know that I won't wake up to NPR on my alarm clock on November 5 to good news instead of being completely crestfallen once again.
79 Sondra from WestPalm :
"The US really only controls the ground on which its soldiers tread..."
=============================
Except of course when that ground is booby trapped.
With an army that is breaking and the casualties coming home in apparently uncountable (dare i say "uncounted?") numbers with no end in sight the big loser in this war is us. All we have managed to do was destroy a people, their culture and their country while achieving no stated goals even when redefined and redefined and redefined.
The blowback from this Administration will take generations to play out.
80 PeterRabbit Says: xoites (One White Vote for Obama) defends Constitution @ 68:
I just watched Obama’s speech (here) for the first time. McCain is toast. He can’t compete with strong thoughtful arguments from a man like Obama. I can’t wait for the debates.
That’s what everybody said about the thoughtful Mr. Gore against the moronic Mr. Bush.
========================
Oh my, you are right! Somebody should fill Obama in on the 2000 debates!
The Chutzpah of GW Bush
or: The World Really Is UpSide Down
It was as if the ghost of Hitler himself was addressing the Knesset, saying that if Neville Chamberlain hadn't adopted his Doctrine of Appeasing Hitler, those 6 million Jews would not have died.
And the Knesset applauded.
.
.
.
.. anyone wanna make the video?
Right wing media extremists label Obama an anti-Semite, anti-white, a black liberation militant, anti-American and a Marxist. They claim Obama was born a Muslim and raised in a Madrassa. They denounce Obama as a stealth candidate endorsed by Islamic terrorist groups, like Hamas, who hate the United States. Evidently, the right wing media is embarked on a relentless, vicious, smear campaign designed to defecate on Obama's good name in order to set him up for assassination.
81 Anonymous Source Says:
What really scares me is that we cannot consider it over until November 5. Of course logically this country should end the right wing era. My point is there is an enormous percentage of the population who are basically antagonistic to logic, and they will be motivated to vote. I mean, how many of us were SURE Bush couldn’t get reelected? I was naive enough to think people had enough by 2004. I don’t know that I won’t wake up to NPR on my alarm clock on November 5 to good news instead of being completely crestfallen once again.
=====================================
I forget who said it and i can't quote it directly, but:
-Those who feel secure are the least secure. Those who worry about security are the most secure.-
We can't become complacent ever again. ( We will, of course, we always do ).
Every time WW attempts intelligent discourse he reveals his two-celled brain!
Sondra from WestPalm @ 79:
Ah, "emergency appropriations" for the
waroccupation through 2013 that still won't be part of the budget.Dems need to make THIS an issue of the campaign!
Obama is outwrasslin' the greased pig and not getting himself dirty or amusing the pig. All hail our teflon candidate.
i dont like any of the top contenders but this guy definitely instills a sense of trust that he's going to do what he proposes where the other two are pandering in that way where it is so obvious, youre blinded by it.
obviously
Ruthless People @ 14:
If you actually watch the video clip, you'll notice it was being brodcast on CNN.
Obama!--Watch your back and don't fly in small planes. If you have to fly--take Hillary with you.Poppa Bush has still many contacts in CIA.
Just the other day--one Republician Senator heard a bang and said that was meant for Obama.--Quit--before your times up--let the Witch have her own way!
Bush is inappropriate, as Obama pointed out, to pull a stunt like that. It's one thing to be a pissy pants cretin, and spread horseshit around while talkin' trash at a gathering in the states.
No, this flaming fool has to be a total Jackass in front of an international crowd for an occasion that should remain separate from the upcoming election. OFF TOPIC, much Mr. War Criminal #1??
Of course, we've come to expect anything when the AWOL Commander Cod Piece, Mission Accomplished, CT. Cowboy goes a travvlin'...........ask Angela Merckel, P.M. of Germany........SHOULDER MASSAGE, ANYONE???
Get this piece of shit, and all connected with him, on TRIAL IN THE HAGUE..........we don't want to house him here.
#79...........thanks for posting this. Jaun Cole at Informed Comment, is probably the leading scholar on the Middle East, and his site is jam-packed with insights and information.
How in the fucking WORLD could the Israeli Knesset give the microphone to the grandson of PRESCOTT BUSH, a TRUE senator for Nazi appeasement? And how could Bush actually have the balls to accuse US of appeasement with his own family skeletons rattling noisily around in the closet? I have to give him points for temerity - zero for brains but points for temerity.
And that ladies and gentlemen is how things should be done. Answer every attack no matter how oblique or tawdry. Every time. This is what worked for Bill Clinton. Somehow people got the idea that "taking the high road" meant ignoring crap like the appeasement accusation. That hasn't worked for any democrat from Adlai Stevenson to John Kerry. Well done Obama.
Olmert is grateful for anything that draws attention from his impending indictments.
This is exactly the right response. Talk about their record and tell the people what the Repugs are trying to do. Frame it to show the desperate, lieing, deceitful, noncredible, empty way that they operate. It is all PR advertising for them. Just like all the corporations do. Misrepresentation through advertising. What was Andy Card before he worked in the white house. A advertising exec? They lie and that is what people think is true , the retractions, if any, are really not publicized, and the harm has been done. These people running our country are brilliantly evil. They are the evil empire. The Dems need to keep talking about the lies. And maybe start IMPEACHMENT proceedings now!!!!
Barack hit this one out of the park! The more that he can put George W Bush and John McCain in the same sentence, the better.
A lot of the American people, such as those in West Virginia, still have misunderstandings of who Barack Obama is. Fortunately we are in general election mode now where he can do this.
Obama has said repeatedly he will not be "swiftboated" and I applaud his quick response. If Kerry would have responded sooner and forceably and attacked Bush's military record, he would have won in 2004. I am finally noticing this year that some Dems in Congress are starting to show some backbone and take on the Republican bullies / criminals. Those that won't fight should not be re-elected.
Yeah, Obama sure did a great job here of associating the current President with McCain.
Wow . . . I LOVE how Obama handled this. He hit back HARD, started the general election and tied Mcain to Bush. Absolutely fantastic. And a shout out for Hillary who has made it clear the past few days that she will fight for the Dem nominee. The Dems will be astoundingly formidable in Nov. Nice.
Do the Israeli Knesset know about bush's relatives? Prescott Bush in particular. Just read some disturbing information about his participation with the Nazi's in WWII.
Obama '08: It's On!
Finally a Democrat with some balls! Way to go Obama!
I agree with Obama, given that he was compared to a Nazi sympathizer, but I don't think he's the one to lead either. He thinks there are 57 states! Silly mistake compared to the people he surrounds himself with, who (like Hitler) think all whites are rich and all Jews are rich, and who might as well be Nazis, but for a President not knowing how many states, that's ridiculous.
Eridon Says,
Are you joking or are you truely a window licker?
He has been to some states more than once.Jeesh!
Given the "mistakes" John McGoo repeatedly makes about things as serious as Sunni, Shia , Iran, surge working, our economy,continuing Chimpy's failures on everything ....and on and on and on...
I can't beleive you could be serious!
Be gone concern troll, you are in way over your head.
"I don’t want a president who makes a “dismissive snark” when verbally attacked. That sounds like bush’s MO. I want a president who not only fires back but has facts to back up what he says."
Damm Right!
Knock Their block off, and then hit 'em ten more times before they hit the ground.
Bring it on.
Obama was steering dangerously close to, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"
I wish he could've been a little more substantive and less platitudinous.
Obama put up a good defense on this one, but it's finally time to turn the tables on the Republicans.
Like Patton said, "Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more."
Time for Democrats to learn that lesson or else we'll be on the sidelines again.
Barack to Repubs. You bring a match, I'm bringing a blowtorch. ""Speak softly and carry a big stick". Teddy Roosevelt
Ruthless People @ 14:
I have to say, I'm pretty grateful for this as well. I very rarely even turn on the tv, and when I do I'm always amazed at what isn't being reported. Blogs like these are, now more than ever, beginning to shape the national discourse. *Analogy (and Confession)* A couple of my guilty pleasure sites are perezhilton.com and people.com. Every once in a while I'll go to perezhilton and check out their stories, which are usually just breaking. Those same stories show up like clockwork on the "breaking news" portion of People's website. This is a silly example of the very real power of the New Media.
Hows this for not being reported?
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=56077§ionid=351020201
From the horses mouth to the horses ass.
Are you listening John Mcbush???
jjasonham @ 112:
Absolutely. First I cancelled my cable. Now I rarely ever watch regular TV. The less I watched TV for news the less I watched for other shows. The less I watched other shows the more time I had to go online and really get informed. What time I wasn't online I found myself outdoors more having a life. I don't miss TV one bit and I have the traditional media to thank, it started the ball rolling.
bob dobbs @ 91:
Now maybe, a year ago? Two years ago? And I doubt you will ever see it on ABC.
I am so glad that Obama responded so that the rw can see that we have a candidate who knows the difference between pulling your punches when fighting with your sibling and all out war when fighting with a stranger.
When will the Rethuglican Party stop appeasing the Chimpster?
Senator Obama gets it. Watch for him to consistently mention Bush and McCain in the same breath, like a Swiss watch.
McCain will sink, and Bush will be the cement overshoes.
La-dee effin' da.
Obama took the fight to the morons, McSame/Bush. He tied Bush around McSame's neck. He took it personal for a reason, not allow the liars on the reichwing to develop a talking point to use against him. They have to explain their failed policy.
One thing remains constant besides change and that is that all trolls are stupid. I have never seen one with the iq of an ant.
Bush + McCain = McBush and we will have the third term of Bush if McCain wins. Glad to see a little fighting spirit from our candidate.
OH MY GOD! What a hysterical performance by Obama. This is not good at all. The man can not handle criticism how ever remote it is. I watched the Bush speech and he was not mentioning him at all. Maybe there is a basis for this hysteria. The republicans are going to pulverize him and show the true mettle of his character. There won't be 3 hairs left to do a DNA analysis to tell if it was Obama. What's going to happen when he's thrown into the fire? Is he going to crack? Can he handle it? I hope so. If this performance is any indicator we are in serious trouble.
If you had another brain Paul you would be dangerious. You want
Obama to take the GOP visious swift boat attacks & be quiet. Not
happening sucker. You fathead Repugs will hate rebutal. Tough.
Pual @122:
Please tug and pull 'til your head comes out...there is a very REAL world outside your butt cheeks.
Concern trolls get eaten here.Learn it..know it.
StevePam @ 124:
hahahaha, testify brother!
jenaye @ 116:
i really like this analogy.
Sorry folks ,but, I didn't have any place to post this since those gutless folks at Huffpo. shut down the comments about Huckafuck's Obama joke. He said"That was Barack Obama and he tripped off a chair"! If I'm not mistaken, and I'm not, that's the way some people were lynched. They were stood on a chair ,a noose slipped around their neck, and the chair was tripped (kicked) and the condemned was left to dangle and strangle to death! the KKK probably used this method of lynching Blacks!I hope that this "joke" is uncovered for what it really is -RACIST BIGOTRY. And this type of "joke" coming from a man of God! Fuck you ,you racist pig, hiding behind religion!If Huckafuck really believes in the invisible man in the sky, then Huck has some splainin' to do after death!
Comments are closed on this entry