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.
Filed Under: Barack Obama, Election 08, Foreign Policy, John McCain
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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: