Barack Obama, Establishment Man
By Larry Johnson on February 13, 2008 at 1:28 AM in Current Affairs
What’s wrong with this picture? Barack Obama runs as the “outsider” fighting against the “special” interests. Barack claims:
“I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists — and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not get a job in my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president.”
— Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA, November 10, 2007
Okay. Then if he is the candidate of change fighting Washington, why did a majority of the Washington, DC and the government employees in the surrounding suburbs and those pesky lobbyists and their spouses and employees, vote for Barack? You see, I believe that people act in their own interest. So, when the folks who live inside the beltway, vote in large measure for Barack, then maybe he is not what he claims to be.
The Obama cult is a phenomenom. A weird phenomenom. People are enthralled with the idea of Obama and know nothing about his past, his performance, and the scandals that will bring him down. And, smack dab in the middle of the enablers, are most of the TV and print journalists. Very few are writing or reporting the kind of tough stories they unleash on Hillary on a regular basis.
My neighbor, who is a prominent Republican lobbyist, was commenting the other day on the inspiring nature of the Obama campaign. He was repeating the positive vibe. I then asked him about issues such as Rezko and the disconnect between his rhetoric and how he actually votes. He was surprised and shocked. He said, “I haven’t heard any of this.” Obviously he’s not a reader of NoQuarter. But he is a politically astute, well-informed guy. When he heard the true story of Obama’s past (including Obama’s Kenyan ties and muslim relatives). He flipped.
Let’s face it. The establishment media have a habit of doing this shit. They happily went along with selling the Bush Administration bullshit and lies about the threat of terrorism and the need to invade Iraq. Oh sure, some, like Sy Hersh pushed back, but his efforts were overwhelmed by the likes of Michael Gordon and Judith Miller, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, and the Washington Post. There were clear voices warning beforehand that the intelligence was fixed and that the war was not needed, but the press played along with the Bush propaganda machine and persuaded a majority of Americans that war with Iraq was the only solution for keeping us safe.
And don’t start in with Obama’s so-called opposition to the war. One damn speech really doesn’t count. What counts is what he has done since coming to Washington. He hasn’t joined the likes of Russ Feingold in pushing for an immediate withdrawal. He’s played the politically safe game. I do not fault him for that. My beef is he thinks, rightly so, that most of the voters are too fucking dumb to realize that he is blowing smoke up their ass. Say one thing and do another.
Yeah, Obama is Mr. Anti-Washington. He is surrounded by Tom Daschle, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Patrick Leahy. If you believe that those guys represent “changing the way business is done in Washington,” then you will believe anything.
We will know next week if Hillary can recover. I give the Obama camp credit. They organized and spent resources in Virginia and Maryland and thumped Hillary. Hillary’s campaign was awful in Maryland and Virginia. Obama’s folks made an effort to personally visit and speak with every registered Democrat. Hillary did not. Obama’s folks called every registered Democrat (or at least tried to) to ask for their vote. Hillary did not. This explains in part, I think, why Patti Doyle, the campaign manager, was fired. She is incompetent. I hope for the sake of the country that Maggie Williams has time to right the ship and get Hillary back on top.
In the meantime, we have to watch the equivalent of a papal coronation, as the media and fans exhult in the Obama Messiah, the black Jesus come to save us. But sometime in the next four months, the excitement will fade as the reality of who Obama is comes out.
Consider this simple example. How do Hillary and Obama handle foreign contributions?
Hillary requires every contribution from overseas to be made as a check and must be accompanied by a copy of the passport or green card that corresponds to the name on the check. This part of her fundraising is kept separate from that raised within the borders of the United. States
Obama, does not segregate his foreign money and has no controls in place to verify that the contributors are in fact legally entitled to contribute to his campaign.
Now I know Obamaphiles will simply bend over and stick their head in their neighbor’s ass and proclaim the putrid aroma as the heaven-sent breath of God. They will say this means nothing and is just carping.
Well, what happens a month or two down the road when the vetting of those contributions–whether by Hillary’s camp, the Republicans, or the FEC–occurs and it turns out laws were broken? If Obama is so brilliant, then why does he not understand that he needs to avoid these problems and avoid giving his opponents ammo? That tells me he ain’t all that bright. He does not have to worry about those details because, HE IS OBAMA.
What we have, ladies and gents, is another Establishment Man. Easily manipulated by the father figures he desperately seeks and gratified by the adulation of the masses, he is buying into his “man of destiny” nonsense. Many in the public are seized with this religious, worshipful madness. Unfortunately, Obama, conquering hero is riding in the parade and soaked in the praise of frenetic crowds. He has received very little pushback so far. But it will come. And Obama would be wise to heed the following advice:
For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. The conqueror rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. And a slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.”
“I’m always losing paper,” he says. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjU2ZjQ3MGNiZjNmZjYxOGQ3M2Y4NmY2NDVhMDk0Mjg=&w=MA==
He wants to run for president, he just doesn’t want the “hassle”.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar
He’s “not an operating officer” or somebody who’s going to “run some bureaucracy.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/_81599.html
But it’s OK - “I don’t think there is anybody in this race who can inspire the American people better than I can.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/_81599.html
“…the disconnect between his record and how he actually votes…”
I think you mean rhetoric. His record IS how he ‘actually votes’.
Also, if you told your neighbor about Obama’s Muslim relatives and he “flipped”, he certainly doesn’t sound too bright.
I’m a professor of mathematics at a university, but it doesn’t take a degree in logic to ascertain that you’re not very smart, no matter how many times you assert to the contrary. It’s the people who care more about Senator Obama’s having taught constitutional law and his bipartisan efforts than his great-grandfather’s religion who seem to have a working mind.
I find that remarkably few people visiting this site have anything vaguely resembling a working mind. Congrats if you do-
If you don’t like this haunt, blow your cold air elsewhere translucent nobody.
Congrats Hope.
This from someone who supports Obama?
You people need to open a window.
I was wondering what Larry’s, or anyones, take is on the death of the Syrian terrorist?
Yes, I did mean rhetoric. Thanks.
You miss my point. If Obama’s crazy quilt childhood had received a lot of attention during the primary it would not likely be as much of an issue come the fall. By failing to fully challenge him on all of the Africa shit (look at the Republicans, they went after Mitt Romney and his polygamous grandfather) then we could say, “Obama has been put to the test.”
Hell, instead we have the boy in the bubble syndrome. Protect him at any cost and flay the Clintons, unfairly, for saying racists things they didn’t say.
fair argument
well, ok, fair argument, but did you actually say anything like that in your web log entry?
Shelby Steele spoke at a bookstore in Berkeley a month or so ago and his talk was on CSpan a few weeks back on BookTV. He delved into Obama’s background as a “bargainer” quoting Obama’s own book in which he says that from the age of 14 he knew that if he didn’t make people angry, they would listen to him. For Steele (who is of black/white parentage) this already is a compromised character, as opposed to MLK and Jesse Jackson who were “challengers.” My take on the discussion was that Obama’s background has resulted in an eerily similar “want to be loved” syndrome a la Bill Clinton! Then, when I’ve seen his snide, cocky air, as in the debate where he snickered in an aside about Hillary’s “likability,” my gut reacted as if I were watching George Bush.
What a combo!! Bush and Bill Clinton rolled into one!!
Steele commented that once Obama drops his mask (or it’s done for him) there will be a lot of disappointment. Unfortunately, it may come too late…
I don’t suppose, then, you could get behind a Clinton/Obama Dream Ticket, ala…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQFtRxubRyA
You call it a working mind not to question who the people giving Obama the big money are? Why a 2 year Senator with no visible accomplishments has raised 130 Mill. The media has pushed this like they have never pushed anything before and maybe they have succeeded because you really believe you decided Obama was great all by yourself. Sounds like Obama’s cult will buy anything How about the Brooklyn Bridge? — I can give you a good deal.
Hey s half,
I’ll make up 100 deeds for the Brooklyn Bridge - the first Hundred with the right price get to say they own the bridge!
Then the rest of us can meet somewhere around DC and have dinner together.
Because of his inspiring rhetoric. What else? What did you think? But are you saying that if he got the nod for vp you wouldn’t vote?
Absurd.
No one with his ambition would ever accept the VP slot.
Just finished reading John Grisham’s The Appeal, probably his best book to date. I believe that there are parallels to be made with Obama’s money and supporters.
You wrote It’s the people who care more about Senator Obama’s having taught constitutional law and his bipartisan efforts than his great-grandfather’s religion who seem to have a working mind.
Au Contraire Doctor. Those who do something called RESEARCH (You do remember that don’t you) and look at what Obama has done with his ‘Constitutional Law’ Degree have the real smarts.
For instance, under Social Security On Obama’s Website he has
Require Full Disclosure of Company Pension Investments: Obama will ensure that all employees who have company pensions receive detailed annual disclosures about their pension fund’s investments. This will provide retirees important resources to make their pension fund more secure
Just this one little piece, I believe is ALREADY law and has been for years at least in 3 different states I have taught in from north through Florida.
Like any Charlatan, Obama uses his so called “smarts” in constitutional Law to fool People. He wasn’t anywhere near the US Senate when that law was written, and he is going to try and take credit for doing something others did?
Please, if you are so enamoured of “Constitutional Law”, why don’t you go to George Washington and take classes by Marty Lederman. Then at least you will know facts as opposed to some non existant dreamy eyed and “fictional” ideal.
By the way, Math is still considered a fact based discipline and science isn’t it?
An interesting thing to do is a lexis/nexis search
on Obama’s academic prodcution from his years at Harvard and at Chicago. Compare his output for his teaching time with the output of his then teaching colleague Posner. Interesting because there is nothing to compare. Obama zilch, Posner lots and at that time Posner was also on the federal bench and writing decisions there also.
All that time in academia and nothing. The only thing available is Obama’s biography. No record for Obama to have to defend. Smart if your goal is the white house and you actually have a long term plan to achieve it.
Thanks CK,
I’ll take your word for this as I do not have access to lexis/nexis. I have no doubt that ZILCH is right!
You obviously do not know the story of Obama’s cousin running for president in Kenya an Obama’s support for him even though he has serious ties to jihadists. Obama injected himself into an election against a man who is an ally of ours on terrorism.
The problem a lot of us have with Hillary is that she’s so blatantly opportunistic and arrogant. “Travelgate” is a good example of her lack of scruples and constraint. I just don’t trust her to dismantle the Bush-Cheney War on America, or to keep our Servicemen and women OUT of the line of fire whenever possible. And the one thing you can’t fault Obama on is that when he says he’s NOT Hillary he’s telling the truth.
I predict that even if she sends your name to the Senate to be confirmed as Golf Czar she’ll pull it again if there’s any resistance–and then complain that your backbone is dulling her knife!
If elected, she will do precisely what her closest advisors tell her is to her own personal maximal political advantage nothing more nothing else. Just like Clinton I it will be a 24/7 election campaign for the entire 4 years.
And Obama is a shrinking violet who is threatening the Super Delegates if they don’t vote for him. What are you guys on?
Montag,
Hillary seems like a sweet unsullied young lady - compared to Obama when it comes to “OPPORTUNISTIC” Please go back and read some intelligent information on your ‘god’. They say that the emotional damage done by cultism takes about 3-5 years to begin to rectify.
Travelgate was a ginned up scandal. The man who ran the travel office, Billy Dale, was found in a audit by KPMG Pete Marwick to have kept an off the books ledger and that the financial records were in a mess. The travel office staff serves at the pleasure of the president, so the Clintons decided to reorganize it. The office was badly mismanaged, but the media loved the guy because he did a lot of favors for them, so they were mad at the Clintons for firing him. They proceeded to turn this into a major scandal, even though the Clintons had good reason for wanting to change the personnel and had every right to do so even without cause. So much for our professional journalists.
Just ask 3/4 DC residents! Just say no to Lady Sauron!
PS Hey Larry how do you feel about the Clintons’ demanding sustained sanctions in Iraq during the 90’s that killed over a half million women and children (UN Maternal and Infant Mortality Report)?
It’s OK, right? No probbo?
Wonder how much those sanctions cost–as opposed to the 1 trillion dollar war Bush has waged.
Those sanctions led to the oil for food program, by which Saddam, with the assistance of his good friend, Nadhmi Auchi, made, and laundered, billions.
Laundering, purchase of illegal arms ( and god only knows in whose hands those ended up) the whole nine yards.
And Obama’s patron is directly connected to this?
And that’s OK with Obama supporters?
Wow.
isn’t this the same Auchi that was going to help Rezko bail out and that’s why he is sitting in jail?
I really think the crap is going to hit the fan when that trial starts.
Mr. Johnson, do you actually take yourself seriously?
I know it is hard, but perhaps you should try to take a step back and read your own material in as objective a manner as you can. Maybe then you would see why you have won for yourself such a reputation as a complete clown.
Did it ever occur to you that maybe one of the (admittedly small) reasons that Clinton is doing so badly is that she has such terrible supporters in the blogosphere - like you?
Do you imagine that you have ever convinced any rational person to support her? One can only imagine how many you have turned away!
Johnson is great when he’s in his sphere. He exudes sophistication and nuance when he is focused on the reality of Middle East issues and the internal struggles between CIA, FBI, and political and administration appointees.
When he wanders into presidential competitions, however …
Hey J Citizen
The “J” must stand for JACKASS!
When you have served our country with one half the distinction Larry Johnson has then - perhaps you can come here and insult him. So get your air head out of Obama’s filthy ASS and get busy earning some street creds around here.
Here are Larry’s: Intelligence analysis and operations officer, CIA; Deputy Director, Office of Counter Terrorism, Department of State
Looks like you’ll be busy for quite a few years just to come to a base level of acceptablity.
I see, when some has a distinguish record of service to the country, you cannot criticize him?
I don’t doubt for a minute if Obama is the nominee, that more “dirt” will be dug up.
I also don’t doubt that Obama will fall short in delivering as President then what his campaign and supporters suggest.
In the end though, if Clinton, with her vaulted machine and experience in national camapaigns (via Bill’s experience) cannot defeat a newbie like Obama, she deserves to lose, period.
Read the post below- it doesn’t matter to Obamaniacs if he would be good President. All that matters to them is that he wins. What he does as President is totally immaterial to these drooling cultists.
All that matters to Clinton supporters is if she is a good President, not if she can beat McCain.
Well if Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton is still Senator in 2009, I don’t think she will make a good President.
But that’s my humble opinion. What do I know?
She can beat McCain.
I really want to find out who pays for these Presidential candidates, ALL of them.
What are the business deals, where do the connections go, all of Congress is fair game, you know?
Yeah, and here are Dick Cheney’s credentials: Vice President of the United States. And look where that got us.
Please. Don’t recite titles to us. They mean nothing. And spare us the Jackass and filthy ass comments too. That hardly meets the standard of intelligent conversation, so matter what blog you’re on.
Dear J
(are you brother to Q Citizen, perhaps?)
For one erudite enough to use objective and rational in the same posting, your ad hominem attack oils the engines of irony.
Best of luck to Q, BTW.
Here they come. How dare you insult their leader.
? Who they? Insult Obama?
Right — They fit well into the term Cult.
Insult away, say whatever you wish.
Flail, make excuses, blame the media, do anything but blame the candidate for a poor campaign.
Poor campaign?
It’s only Feb 13th.
Clinton won Mass, and Ca.
I think Obama was stunned at his loss, and frankly, it doesn’t bode well for him, now does it?
And we dont even know about Obama’s TRUE relationship with Rezko, Rezko’s real connections, and where they may lead, Syrian and all, and yes, this is a legitimate concern, the hints are truly revolting, and let’s hope they’re not true. Terrorism is a very profitable business.
And no, I don’t know if it’s true Rezko is connected to terrorism, but a smart person truly intent on getting any DEMOCRAT elected would keep all contingencies open, until Rezko’s trial is resolved, no denial, welcome to the working week.
If Rezko is connected to a terrorist money laundering network, though, or Auchi is, and this can be traced to Obama, or Obama’s money, Obama’s nomination will be nullified, there will be no salvageable democratic candidate.
The best sources for the truth about the Obama-Rezko relationship are out of Chicago, what we outside of IL know, compared to the Chicago press, is virtually nothing. Denial is not your friend. If Rezko is dirty, and he was a player in IL politics, Obama’s business with him is as tainted as Rezko. How do Middle Eastern men with connections to Saddam launder money, arent you curious? Shouldn’t you wait to find out, before you lock the door on a democratic candidate?
So you need to question whether it’s really about a Democrat being elected, or your blind fanboi love of Obama needing to be protected, at all costs.
That, or you’re a Republican shill.
methinks you are forgetting, larry, that DC is 61% poor black folk, who are disenfranchised in the general election. I wouldn’t exactly call them “washington insiders.”
Calling Obama an establishment candidate because he attracted low income black folks in DC to vote for him is a real amazing twist of logic and a sign of desperation as they see their heroine going down.
Larry,
All due respect, but do you not see the disconnect between stating that anyone who supports Obam is:
Right after accusing the Obama voters of voting in their enlightened self-interest:
WTF??????
The sad thing is, I probably agree with you that HRC might very well be a good or even great President, but the constant drumbeat of either “Obama Sucks” or “Hill’s Great”, and the illogical and petty posts that have become a staple of this blog do not serve you or your credibility well.
Nor does the immediate flaming of anyone who might offer a comment in contradiction, no matter how minor, to your (and Susan’s) views.
Jeebus.
What I notice is that the Obamamaniacs are so obsessed with everyone loving their candidate that they feel they have to take from HuffPo, MoveOn, DailyKos, etc. etc. etc. and come here to attack people who haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid yet and (GASP!) actually think Hillary Clinton would be a better President.
Look in the mirror, people. You are basically arguing that anyone who doesn’t prefer Obama should just shut the hell up or be ready to be called racist, corpo or just plain stupid. Sorry, but there are still people out there who aren’t buying in. Maybe you dream of a future where sites like this are shut down and we are all sent to re-education camps to learn our lesson and be good little Obamanites, but we aren’t there yet.
By all means, support Clinton, sing her praises, condemn or criticize Obama.
I am an Obama supporter. Yes, he is inspirational, but I support him for a cold calculating reason .. I believe he is the stronger candidate in November given his support from independents and moderates.
I prefer a nominee who can win, not a nominee “whose turn it is” who is supposedly a better potential President.
If you cannot win, being a potential President is a moot point.
I prefer a nominee who can win, not a nominee “whose turn it is”
Obama saying “it’s our time” does not fit this bill?
potential President? Let’s not get to far down the the road. How about “potential Democratic nominee”.
Obama has never run a genuinely contested campaign for high office against the GOP. You have no idea if he can win, because you do not know what he will do when he is swiftboated, when his wife and children are called racist, misogynist names, or what he has in his past. You do not know what there is to be dug up on Rezko. You do not know what other ties Obama has that are seriously compromised. You do not know what Rezko wanted in return for spending $625k of his own money to benefit Obama personally. And until we know the answer to that question, there is no reason to believe Obama can win.
You don’t know these things because the GOP dirt machine has never had reason to let fly against him. You do not know what they have stashed away against him, and how he will respond when it is used against him.
We know what the GOP has on the Clintons. Every phone call they made and every check they ever wrote (literally) has been investigated and nothing was found. We also know how the Clintons respond to swiftboating.
To say that you know Obama can win is sheer fantasy on your part. Maybe he can. But it’s just as likely, considering who has endorsed him, that he can’t. He’s telling you that he is going to let the Republicans set the agenda and the terms of the debate - you are simply refusing hear what he has said.
and Clinton vs. Renzie or whatever the heck his name was, was a contested race? hmmm.
Unless the drooling victimization projected by a very large number of Obama supporters drive voters to McCain. :-}
Yes…they are victims…”down with the old”…”baby boomers messed up the world”……….”hillary has caused every dam thing that is bad in the last 15 years”…..”Hillary is evil” ….”it is her fault”.
Jesus H Christ. Victims. victims. victims.
So, your neighbor was interested in voting for a democrat and you threw as much mud at him as you could as fast as possible to talk him out of it?
The “Obama attended a madrassa” smear got pretty hefty circulation. It’s not like “Barack Obama” screams “was raised in the suburbs with a white picket fence and a dog”. People are going to expect something different of him. And different he is.
Third, the Rezko thing… seriously, go try to compare the record on Whitewater (a complete non-scandal) to Tony Rezko (also… a complete non-scandal) and tell me how your candidate comes out better.
It remains to be seen if Rezko is a complete non scandal, but even if it is you just acknowledged that Whitewater was and yet the Republicans and the media turned it into a major one.
Obama clearly knew that Rezko was under investigation for corruption when he asked Rezko for help in buying a house he could not afford. Obama got a very sweet deal on it, too. Heck, the Clintons were crucified for Whitewater and they lost all of their investment money on it. Imagine what the Republicans will do with Obama’s Rezko’s ties.
Patrick FitzGerald thought Tony Rezko was dirty enough to prosecute him, and a federal judge revoked his bail because he lied to the judge. Rezko helped the Obamas buy a house, not twenty years ago but in 2005. Obama had recommended Rezko to receive millions of dollars in federal and state funds. So how does anyone figure this is a non-scandal?
Madison Guaranty - the S&L at issue in the Whitewater scandal - had already been investigated by the Resolution Trust when Clinton was running for office. We knew, officially, that there was nothing there because Republican prosecutors with subpoenas had gone in, looked around and cleared Madison.
What prosecutor with subpoena power has officially investigated Rezko’s purchase of property for Obama’s benefit?
Larry,
Thank you for informing us about the foreign contributions with the NY Sun (neocon) article.
I’ll pass it along with a warning that someone has probably already sent funds with the intent to harm the campaign.
Tony Rezko’s about to stand trial and Attorney Fitzgerald is no lightweight or Rove apparatachik.
“Hillary’s campaign was awful in Maryland and Virginia.”
Maybe, but was there anything she could have done about the fact that the large black populations have evidently chosen to vote based on skin color affinity?
If you factor that out, she was even.
..the fact that the large black populations have evidently chosen to vote based on skin color affinity?
Huh - Obama leads in just about every category, regardless of race, creed, color… I’m a young, white, male and can’t wait to vote for him next month…!!!
“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’”
God I love the music of Bob Dylan - it’s more relevant now than ever… true classics…
And I can’t wait to see you cry when he turns out to be just another empty suit with big pockets of money.
What he said.
Whaaaaaaaa
Now you don’t have to wait!
Randi Rhodes tried to spin this the other day- she sees NO relevance to the fact that Obama and Hillary split the white vote just about evenly, but Obama gets 90 percent of the black vote. None.
And your letter of support just oozes of Obamania- apparently you are the typical Obama supporter- you are “inspired” (to vote for Barack) and you have “Hope” (that Barack wins) and you feel all warm and fuzzy inside (thinking of Barack.)
“Yes We Can (get this guy on stage elected!)” And then what? Um….what else is on tv?
John,
You nailed it… but I think this will come to a head as soon as Obama became the nominee.
Did you read the Joseph Wilson article on Huffington post?
exerpt:
“But will Mr. Obama fight? His brief time on the national scene gives little comfort. Consider a February 2006 exchange of letters with Mr. McCain on the subject of ethics reform. The wrathful Mr. McCain accused Mr. Obama of being “disingenuous,” to which Mr. Obama meekly replied, “The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you.” Then one of McCain’s aides said of Obama, “Obama wouldn’t know the difference between an RPG and a bong.”
Mr. McCain was insultingly dismissive but successful in intimidating his inexperienced colleague. Thus, in his one face-to-face encounter with Mr. McCain, Mr. Obama failed to stand his ground.”
emphasis mine
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-wilson/battletested_b_86355.html
I think we’ll be hearing a lot that “Obama wouldn’t know the difference between an RPG and a bong.”
He has absolutely NO experience in national security, he couldn’t even bothered to call a single meeting of the subcommittee he chaired on Europe (NATO!) where he might have gotten some introduction. Contrast this with Hillary’s work on Senate Armed Services Committee.
In 2004, Senator Clinton was asked by the Department of Defense to serve as the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Joint Forces Command.
And I love Joseph Wilson’s strong close:
“Theodore Roosevelt once commented, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly.”
If he were around today, TR might be speaking of the woman in the arena. Hillary Clinton has been in that arena for a generation. She is one of the few to have defeated the attack machine that is today’s Republican Party and to have emerged stronger. She is deeply knowledgeable about governing; she made herself into a power in the Senate; she is respected by our military; and she never flinches. She has never been intimidated, not by any Republican — not even John McCain.
Barack Obama claims to represent the future, but it should be increasingly evident that he is not the man for this moment, especially with Mr. McCain’s arrival. We’ve seen a preview of that contest already. It was a TKO.”
Barack hasn’t done the work needed in the past and he ain’t going to do it in the future.
Judge him by his actions and accomplishments (none and lacking) NOT by his pretty but empty words.
Bob,
Oh. Another color excuse. Next week you’ll talk about gender, then age, caucus states,income, WEATHER even.
Yawn. Excuses, excuses.
Interesting, Obama won the white vote in Virginia and was close in Maryland.
Next excuse?
How do you explain the fact that he also has won majorities among white males?
NOT an Obama supporter, but getting sicker and sicker and sicker of all this rubbish from both sides.
Obama says he will not have any lobbyists work for him yet the man who ran his campaign in NH was a lobbyist. When Hillary pointed this out in a debate Obama denied it.
Bernie,
Wanna talk about denial? Hillary made a mistake in bringing Maggie Williams back to oversee her campaign. The following is from an Ohio former Democrat blog.
A Kansas City native, Williams, 53, was a central player in the Clinton damage-control machine during the White House years.
In 1995, a uniformed Secret Service officer swore under oath he saw her leave White House lawyer and Hillary confidant Vince Foster’s office carrying documents after Foster committed suicide. Williams denied it.
http://www.progressohio.org/page/community/post/adap2k/C3WG
The American public has had enough of the past.
See…the cult behavior… Don’t look behind the curtain!
Assertion: Obama said something that wasn’t true.
Response: “Look what the Clintons did!”
You’re sounding like a freakin’ echo from right-wing radio.
YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
You did say that looking in the mirror, right?
Yes, I’m willing to admit the Clintons aren’t perfect. Unlike most Obamaphiles being unable to talk about his faults, let alone admit he has some.
That’s why I’m for comparing the entire record, not their “dreams.”
Like I’ve said, I’ll vote for Obama if he’s the Dem candidate, will you vote for HRC is she is?
If you answer No, then boo hoo for you, you’re an Obama “Cult” member and have no place trying to dictate Dem party direction.
It ain’t ALL about Barack. (or Hillary!!!) This election will have ramifications for generations to come. If you take your toys and go home (aka not vote for HRC if she’s candidate), then you’re as responsible for the fan splatter as the pugs.
Nope. I’ll vote for Hillary if she is the nominee.
I “believe” in Obama, but I don’t want 100 years in Iraq McCain to be President (which is WHY I support Obama, he has a better chance to win then Hillary)
Oh, and by the way, contrary to popular opinion, even Jesus had faults!
Past as prologue ( ain’t it always so )
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/13/81448/4808/105/455521
For your conspiracy pleasure, a direct connection between the Turkish drug mob neck deep in the Sibel Edmonds story and a delegate pledged to and heavy cash contributor to Sen Clinton.
People with money flock to politicians
Politicians flock to people with money.
Now I understand why the Sibel Edmonds story cannot achieve any traction in the US Media.
I keep saying this over and over but EVERYONE needs to do some research about what has happened to ANY Democrat who was brazen enough to try to be president. The right wing smear machine trashed them mercilessly and the media joyfully joined in. There is a good reason that the Clintons were never convicted of anything. Yet Democrats still keep repeating Republican slime against the Clintons, which shows just how effective their propaganda is.
I beg everyone to read things like “The Hunting of the President” by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, or Jeffry Toobin’s “A Vast Conspiracy”. Go to Salon.com and read their archives about David Hale, the guy who accused the Clintons of wrongdoing in order to get out of a conviction for embezzling a couple of million from our government. Read about Jeff Gerth and his role in both the Clinton scandals and the Wen Ho Lee case. (He was the first “Judith Miller”.) Go to the dailyhowler.com site and read the archives from 2000 and 2006 to see how the media went along with right wing propaganda. Go to the NYTimes archives and read the kinds of things that Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich said about Gore. It boggles my mind how many Democrats still do not get it.
If you are an Obama supporter, this is very important for you so that you will recognize these tactics early and be ready to fight back. I am not saying this to convince you to vote for Hillary but to get all Democrats to wake up to what we all have been facing since the nineties. Whether our nominee is Hillary or Barack, we need to understand how this process works if we want to be ready to combat it. Do not forget that the Republicans are so brazen that they were even willing to trash Kerry’s true bravery in Vietnam and the media was very tepid in their debunking of this. They did this even thought their guys were a bunch of chickenhawks.
If you think that Obama will be immune to this kind of thing, I think you will be shocked at the lengths to which the powers that be will go to protect their interests. Right now the media loves him, but they also love McCain as well as their big fat tax cuts which he will protect. It is time for all of us to wise up and be ready to fight back. I have been heartened to see that some Obama supporters have been willing to sign the petition at mediamatters.org asking NBC to stop the sexism. This is the kind of thing we all need to do for all of our candidates. Believe me, the Republicans have been doing this for their guys for years.
Larry,
Reading this reply thread shows that you have rattled the cage of the Obama-lama-ding-dong, i.e. the True Believers. However, on the DC primary issue, given Washington’s large black population, expecting a different outcome was wishful thinking. Senator Obama will get the black vote, no ifs, no ands, no buts.
But, what I havn’t heard from the True Believers, let alone detractors, is whether they will actively work for the election of this man if he is the nominee of the party?
The Republicans have to go. Conservative thought of the so-called Goldwater/Reagan variety has utterly failed as a governing principle. It’s a great opposition tactic, but in actual practice, it fails. I like to call that the “Popiel Veg-A-Matic” school of politics…it looks great on televison but doesn’t work when you get it home.
What scares me is that Obama is another “Popiel Veg-A-Matic” politician; even if he