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Just Words, Just Speeches (+ TGIF Open Thread) [Updated]

By SusanUnPC on February 29, 2008 at 2:55 PM in Afghanistan, Bamboozling, Barack Obama, Foreign Affairs, NATO

UPDATE:


MORE:

As I wrote in “That inconsequential subcommittee“:

I’m sure that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS et al. will have both Joe Conason and Joe Wilson on their news shows today to weigh in about Obama’s failure to do his job on European affairs.

I’m sure of it.

If they have an opportunity after dissecting Hillary’s tone and style of “attack.” Which takes precedence of course.

Maybe they’ll ask Conason and Wilson about Arkansasdemocrat’s concerns:

There is the threat of a new civil war with the Kosovo situation. The illegal proliferation of “loose nukes” from Russia continues. Britain has a new Prime Minister. The European Union is experiencing difficult growing pains. Parts of the EU have been pioneers on climate change, etc.

And not one single hearing since Obama took over as chairman 14 months ago. Amazing.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD?

  • DCDemocrat

    I only hope that the Democratic Party will pull back from the precipice. We’re about to do it to ourselves once again.

    • ChrisXP

      Yep.

      Saddest thing is when a conservative has to point this out repeatily, when the Dem kids are oblivious. It’s like history is even being blinded out by the O-Bomba light.

      Always wondered how the Germans fell for Hitler. Well, the O-Bomba campaign shows everyone how today.

  • Mike Howell

    The Charlatan from Chicago simply wanted to pad his empty resume.

    • Fred C. Dobbs

      Well, many of us “puff” our accomplishments, although most, upon meeting me, realize that I did NOT ride Seattle Slew to victory twice…

      • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

        Hell, you’ve probably never been to Seattle, have you??? (Thinking about it, I don’t think Seattle Slew ever went there either. Hmmm … claiming geographical identity he isn’t entitled to.)

        Fred, you are such a riot.

    • Karen Anderson

      Barack Obama reenacted his 2002 speech for an ad because there is no audio record of it.

      October 13, 2007
      BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Columnist
      WASHINGTON — The Obama campaign readily admits that White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) recently recorded a portion of the Oct. 2, 2002, anti-Iraq war speech he originally delivered at an outdoor rally in Chicago for a new ad that went online Thursday.
      There is no good audio tape of the speech, which is playing a pivotal role in the Obama campaign. But the campaign used a sound effect to create the impression one was listening to the original speech.

      “It was Barack re-reading a portion of the speech. As I told you, there is no original tape,” Obama’s chief strategist, David Axelrod, told me in an e-mail exchange.

      The 77-second ad uses sound effects that could easily lead one to conclude that one is listening to Obama making the original speech at the plaza rally outside the Kluczynski Federal Building in the Loop.

      It is a sound effect to make the Obama spot seem something it is not.

      Obama’s voice sounds as if it were recorded off a loudspeaker. The sound effect gives Obama’s voice a reverberation, or echo-like quality.

      The spot is titled “Blank Check” and is designed to underscore one of — perhaps the most potent — calling cards of Obama, his early opposition to the Iraq war.

      Obama’s new voice-over uses a key quote from the Oct. 2 speech at the rally in which protesters tried to head off the Senate’s Oct. 11, 2002, vote to authorize the Iraq war:

      “I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length at undetermined cost with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaida.”

  • Ann

    Great post. We need more than words and speeches…we need to get working on rebuilding our great nation. We’ve been bush-whacked and it’s time to heal.

    Vote Hillary. Let’s get going.

  • JoeySky18

    I’m waiting to see how long the US media and Obama’s defenders will let him bamboozles them.

    How long this episode will last? And I want to read about it 10 years from now and able to say proudly that I’m not one of them.

    • kenoshaMarge

      Til after the Bamboozler wins Texas.

      • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

        Doing it this way? Via Andrew Sullivan (in the tank):

        I just heard a legitimate Obama ad on the Rush Limbaugh program out of WBAP in Dallas. I was astonished, but this kind of thing shows his genius and ability to think outside the box in reaching out to Rush’s very large audience in Texas.

  • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

    I clicked on the image of Obama’s face at the bottom — when the video finishes and you see a series of little images — it plays this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_6STL1O2PU

    WOW.

    Whose voice is that? I recognize that voice.

  • fiscalliberal

    It seems the media is reticent to discuss International Relations, Global Trade and National Defictis and Debt.

    We need to under stand that this George Bush International and Economic mess is not going to be easy.

    Instead we get from Russert ” Will you pull out of NAFT” – Yes or No. No one is interested in pulling out of NAFTA – Stupid.

    What we are interested in is how can it be changed to retain our jobs and improve the plight of the Mexican poor. Specifically, It is my understanding that NAFTA realy hurt the Mexican Farmer becuse of our Agricultural subsidies.

    Now I know Hillary can discuss these issues, the question is “can Barack Oboma”

    It seems the Kumbya Oration – NBC: Mathews tingle in the legs is the only level we can get to.

    If I want hope – I can go to church. As Maxine Waters said we need rational results. I was to a Teachers Convention meeting im Milwaukee and Tavis Smiley spoke. His main theme was – expect less from the kids, get less fromt the kids.

    This also applies to out politicians – expect less from them and we get less

    Could it be that the media does not understand International Relations, Global Trade and National Deficit and Debt

    • rwc

      NAFTA and free trade in general has to be seriously revisited considering the damage its done our workforce – costing us about 3 million well paying manufacturing jobs and creating out of control trade deficits.

      Hell we haven’t been able to negotiate any sort of trade deals that have been in the national interest in the last 20 years.

      That said, we can’t keep shipping whats left of our manufacturing and technology sectors overseas not unless you want to see our tax base shrink to nothing and watch the U.S. become totally dependent on China and OPEC to support our out of control national budgets.

      Sadly I see nothing from any of the 3 major candidates that isn’t mere pandering when it comes to NAFTA, trade policies in general, our out control trade deficits or rebuilding our manufacturing and technology sectors.

    • Mike Howell

      Has anyone seen Russert and Matthews in the same room? Would anyone want to?

      Olderman loved making fun of O’Reilly so much that he became him.

      John Stewart doesn’t try to hide behind some idiotic rational such as listening to his child when he chooses a candidate like other privileged schemer/dreamers including Carolyn Kennedy and Maria Shriver or simply because he’s half black like Oprah Winfrey who suddenly gets involved in politics for the first time.

      If they said it was raining, I’d have to see for myself.

      No the creeps at MSNBC and John Stewart are in dire straits. That’s why only Pat Buchanan makes sense anymore.

      Their hatred of Hillary Rodham Clinton is palatable. They get all red-faced and anxious when a guest or film clip of reality forces them to delay their mancrushes for even the briefest of moments.

      Why are they so terrified of any honest peek at their hero?

      Because they get paid for ridiculing people, so they would be out of jobs if a competent liberal woman became President. Or a competent Republican for that matter.

      The guy doomed for failure is the best man for the job for them.

      • Kathleen

        Six years ago I knew something was up when I started thinking that Pat Buchanan sounding like he was in the middle on many issues. The middle has moved since the radical Bush regime has been in office.

        John Stewart appears as if he will challenge all subjects, issues and idividuals. Stewart will not touch the Israeli Palestinian conflict or Israel’s leaders. Watch and listen.

        Go listen to him rip up Chris Matthews and then Stewart plays softball with Bll Kristol. Go to his sight and listen for your self. Fair and balanced criticism…no way for Stewart. He marches lock step on the I/P issue.

        • Mike Howell

          Kathleen,

          I thought Stewart was going to ask Colin Powell if he could kiss his ring.

          Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like Pat Buchanan, but amazingly he doesn’t have as much of an agenda as these other opinionadmen.

          “Teach your children well – so that they can spot the difference”

      • Taters

        Mike,

        Has anyone seen Russert and Matthews in the same room? Would anyone want to?

        LMAO!!

        Ya think Matthews is still heartsick over Fred Thompson’s departure?

        • Mike Howell

          Taters,

          God only knows where Matthews felt tingles about Fred.

          I know – it’s below the belt.

    • S. Markom

      The novice with no experience but with great wisdom, hope, and a bag full of political punch-lines is playing fast and loose with NAFTA. What it shows is exposing is his poor judgment and shameless pandering to the public.

      NAFTA was the one Clinton legacy that has had benefits that are being buried for political expediency.

      Concerning jobs there were some areas that lost jobs to NAFTA but it is unfair to blame it on the free trade agreement and not look at other variables such as state and local tax situations.

      The fact is that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

      “Total employment in the U.S. motor vehicle industry has grown five times faster following NAFTA that in the years prior to the Agreement.”

      Also U.S. unemployment has declined significantly since NAFTA was signed when it was 7.5%.

      But there is another facet to it.

      Part of NAFTA deals with Canada who is our leading supplier of foreign oil. NAFTA stipulates that Canada is prohibited from reducing its oil exports to the U.S. even if there were a worldwide shortage.

      By eliminating NAFTA Canada would now have the opportunity to opt out of that oil deal and go on the open market and make more money and cause our prices to go up further.

      The question now is what is the truth. Is Obama really going to eliminate NAFTA or is just political theatre? Also, I thought he was going to have better relations with foreign countries. So his idea of better relations is to hammer your allies (Canada and Mexico) and kiss the feet of your enemies (Chavez, Castro, and Ahmadinejad). Great judgement.

      • Taters

        Powerful and thoughtful post, S. Markom

  • Frostback
    • TeakWoodKite

      The question is did he vote present or speak up and be counted.

      Obama has said the church’s former pastor – and his spiritual mentor – Jeremiah Wright, is “like an old uncle who sometimes will say things that I don’t agree with.”

      his spiritual mentor
      as the blind Master Po said to Grasshooper?…
      NOT.

  • Andy

    Sorry, is this a TV Ad currently running? I would have add there “overseeing NATO” (not just Afghanistan).
    It is very powerful but I would like to know who is viewing it?

  • Sandy

    February 29, 2008 Counterpunch.com

    Count Me Out
    The Obama Craze
    By Matt Gonzalez

    Part of me shares the enthusiasm for Barack Obama. After all, how could someone calling themself a progressive not sense the importance of what it means to have an African-American so close to the presidency? But as his campaign has unfolded, and I heard that we are not red states or blue states for the 6th or 7th time, I realized I knew virtually nothing about him.

    Like most, I know he gave a stirring speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. I know he defeated Alan Keyes in the Illinois Senate race; although it wasn’t much of a contest (Keyes was living in Maryland when he announced). Recently, I started looking into Obama’s voting record, and I’m afraid to say I’m not just uninspired: I’m downright fearful. Here’s why:

    This is a candidate who says he’s going to usher in change; that he is a different kind of politician who has the skills to get things done. He reminds us again and again that he had the foresight to oppose the war in Iraq. And he seems to have a genuine interest in lifting up the poor.

    But his record suggests that he is incapable of ushering in any kind of change I’d like to see. It is one of accommodation and concession to the very political powers that we need to reign in and oppose if we are to make truly lasting advances.

    THE WAR IN IRAQ

    Let’s start with his signature position against the Iraq war. Obama has sent mixed messages at best.

    First, he opposed the war in Iraq while in the Illinois state legislature. Once he was running for US Senate though, when public opinion and support for the war was at its highest, he was quoted in the July 27, 2004 Chicago Tribune as saying, “There’s not that much difference between my position and George Bush’s position at this stage. The difference, in my mind, is who’s in a position to execute.” The Tribune went on to say that Obama, “now believes US forces must remain to stabilize the war-ravaged nation a policy not dissimilar to the current approach of the Bush administration.” … [SNIPPED BY ADMINISTRATOR: WE CAN'T REPRINT FULL ARTICLES both for their length and the "fair use" rule. PLEASE PROVIDE DIRECT LINKS TO ARTICLES. THANK YOU.]

    • Mike Howell

      Excellent article Sandy!

    • Kathleen

      Appreciate the link. Used to go to Counterpunch almost everyday. Thanks for reminding me.

  • ChrisXP

    Ladies day out with mom…and whoah!…have a lot of reading to catch up on!

    Susan, you need an award for your wall-to-wall coverage on NAFTAgate! :thumbs:

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      That’s so kind. Thanks, Andy.

      HEY ALL — I can’t get to read all the comments, even though I try. If any of you notices anything untoward, in language or impropriety or fair use issues, please send me an e-mail – susanunpc at gmail dot com. THANK YOU

  • Andy

    ATTENTION: Rezko on Top Stories at ABC News:

    http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4365942&page=1

    • Mike Howell

      Reformer: Trial Will Reveal ‘Cesspool’ of Obama’s Allies
      Great headline – FINALLY!!

  • Frostback

    This piece by CBC’s “The National” Washington correspondent is from mid Jan/08, but I don’t think I’ve shared (or seen it posted) before:

    ‘Barack Obama and the illusion of change’

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/reportsfromabroad/macdonald/20080114.html

    • Mike Howell

      Frostback –

      Well done article that reminds me of an ad class I took in Junior High. The Charlatan from Chicago is running as “The New & Improved” candidate.

      They simply look for the thing that they know the people want in the product and push it regardless of whether their brand contains it or not.

      Unfortunately, like some ad campaigns the very thing they champion (change) is their brands weakness.

      Poor Hillary Rodham Clinton. How do you campaign with integrity against a candidate who is actually claiming to be all things to all people and getting away with it?

      Sure, his campaign is insane if you think about it, but it’s the suspension of disbelief that makes us buy all sorts of crap.

  • Mel

    We all know the media has no love for Hillary, they have proven over and over again in their messages and reporting!

    BUT

    We know that hasn’t derailed the people of America who void of fair unbias Media attention the likes never before seen provided to only one candidate, America has still provided Hillary with almost as many votes as her rival! Her rival contends he has brought in more Independants and Republicans than his opponent!

    This being the case, then what is the make-up of Hillary’s 10,720,918 votes and the make-up of BO’s 11,041,918 votes? Even with all the negative reporting by the media towards Hillary and the love fest they give B.O. they are barely 300,000 votes apart! Although this media slanting is an injustice, it is proof positive that people out there do listen and do seek a real candidate and that is proving to be Hillary!

    Come the end of August ’08, let us all provide hillaryclinton.com with pillows to make sure Barack Obama has enough comfortable pillows for the seat he will be enjoying to finally do some actual work in the US Senate!

  • Fred C. Dobbs

    >>> How do you campaign with integrity against a candidate who is actually claiming to be all things to all people and getting away with it?

    I call this the Jimmy Carter Conundrum, 1980 edition.

    >>> Sure, his campaign is insane if you think about it, but it’s the suspension of disbelief that makes us buy all sorts of crap.

    Pet rocks, Yugoes? Astrology? The “New Economy?” The “New Politics?”

    Sounds so much like Atari Democrats Redux to me that I expect to see Donna Riceon Obama’s lap any moment.

    • http://noquarterusa.net/ SusanUnPC

      I was a Jimmy Carter knucklehead in 1976.

      True story: I went to a downtown Los Angeles noon rally. While we waited for Carter, Cher began speaking to us. She told us to move back from the stage. Bad move. I’d never been caught up in a crowd stampede … unreal … after that, I saw how people get trampled to death. It was like riding a huge ocean wave. I had no control of my body — just was being pushed by so many other bodies. Ended up with ripped nylons and some bruises, but thankfully nothing worse.

      • TeakWoodKite

        Times Square on New Years eve …same thing. My bud and I had to lock arms just stay up right…and not be trampled…Never again.

        There’s an Obama joke in there somewhere…mmm

  • TeakWoodKite

    Someone mentioned net nuetrality

    What’s Comcast Afraid Of?
    We caught Comcast stacking a FCC hearing with paid (and apparently sleepy) seat-fillers so that the public couldn’t get in.

    Don’t let Comcast block Internet access like it blocks public debate. Speak out and protect everyone’s right to connect.

    http://www.savetheinternet.com/

    • Mike Howell

      Teak –

      They’re worried about having to pass along huge packets of info. let’s say for spamming companies – to put it in the best light for them – as soon as they get them. They maintain that the internet will soon slow down due to a lack of capabilities in the infrastructure. You know, cats will be sleeping with dogs!

      They want to be able to pick and choose which info. gets sent when. For example, my stupid e-mails could be sent at 3:00 A.M. every day.

      Of course, it also opens up the door for them to start charging for a premium service doesn’t it?

      They would love to have the same lack of accountablitity as mobile phone providers. Don’t blame us for our crappy service, but if you’re willing to pay more it may be incrementally better.

      I was present for a pitch by the head of a major telecom that went just like that and yes it was filmed.

      My advice is the same for big oil (refineries) and power (power grids). It’s your business. If you don’t make it work, you should be fined until a responsible provider takes your place. If you have to re-invest some of your billions, so be it.

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