This Week: Obama responds to GOP community organizer insults
By SilentPatriot Saturday Sep 06, 2008 7:30pm
At last week's convention, both Sarah Palin and Rudy 9iu11ani went out of there way to demean Barack Obama's record of community organizing -- indeed, they seemed to mock the very idea of grassroots movements aimed at uprooting the status quo. Today on ABC's This Week, Obama responded forcefully.
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"It's curious to me that they would mock that, when I, at least, think that that's exactly what young people should be doing.
"I worked with churches, who were dealing with steel plants that had closed in their neighborhoods, to set up job training programs for the unemployed and after-school programs for youth, and to try to deal with asbestos in homes with poor people -- community service work -- which John McCain has been talking about, putting country first and extolling the virtues of national service. I would think that's what we want all our young people to do. I would think that that's an area where Democrats and Republicans would agree."
On Face the Nation this morning, Senator McCain was asked what he has against community organizing.
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Heather writes:
When McCain is asked about Rudy and Sarah Barracuda mocking Obama being a community organizer, his excuse is that it was just her responding to them saying something about her being a mayor of a small town but of course he doesn't think it's a negative to be a community organizer. If he really thinks that, didn't he even have any control over his own convention?
Apparently not.
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In the same interview, Obama had a Freudian slipped and said "my Muslim faith".
Now as a McCain supporter, I know he's not a Muslim. never thought it, and frankly the attempts to smear him with that are ludicrous at best.
That being said, I have to admit i laughed a little with the pic in my hed of his campaign advisors all smacking themselves in the forehead simultaneously and yelling "Doh!"
:-)
" If he really thinks that, didn’t he even have any control over his own convention?"
No. The "convention" took control of him.
jay @ 1:
And there would be a clip of him saying that, where?
In part the smear against community organizers is part of the Republican assault on communities and the very idea of society. For them, there is only a collection of me's. But also, country first has a decidedly militaristic angle for them. Lastly, I think community organizer is a racial code they are tapping into and trying to solidify. I think we call them out on not valuing communities.
Only in Amerika could a could a war candidate bent on "catching history", be neck-and-neck in the polls with a candidate so bent on the future and creating history. Are our people be so embarrassingly ill-informed, ignorant and illiterate? How could this be possible?
Chicken "Hussein" Little - Not! @ 3:
Probably on YouTube i'd imagine.
Story here:
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/07/obama-verbal-slip-fuels-his-...
Got'dam that MacCain guy is nothin' but a punk fo'real. Is there anything he won't fold on; sometimes in the same sentence, amazing.
How easily people are hoodwinked. No wonder he folded so fast and got special treatment from the NVA after making the propaganda films with them.
Obama was very cool, smart and descent with George Staph infection's double standard bullshit.
jay @ 6:
Yep, there it is. Thanks for your courtesy. I'm surprised you'd be a McCain supporter but we all have our reasons for what we do and believe.
Peace and respect
silly, it's spelled 9iu11iani. don't forget the middle i.
As coined by someone else who sums it up perfectly :
Jesus was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilate was a governor.
This should be shouted from the rooftops . Why does the McCain campaign hate Jesus ?
Sarah Palin knows more about energy than anybody else? Really?? ANYBODY else?!
Oh, so it was his convention, huh? Geez. And here I thought it was for the people. What was I thinking?
Chicken "Hussein" Little - Not! @ 9:
Apprieciate the kind words. For the record, I just think its time a REAL Vet wa commader in chief for once. not one who avoided the draft ....whetehr that be thru deferrments, or hiding out in the Texas national guard.
Tell you the truth, My dream ticket would be McCain/Biden.
oh well....
jay @ 1:
Yes Jay, I heard Obama slip and say that. Trust me, you surely don't want to play count the gaffes with McDementia buddy.
” If he really thinks that, didn’t he even have any control over his own convention?”
At the convention, McCain sounded like he was giving a retirement speech, saying farewell. Palin, at the other extreme, came off as a blustery, obnoxious gatecrasher. With any luck this will come back to hit her in the face when she has to face substanitive issues. I think everyone might be in for a surprise in November, polls aren't reflecting the youth vote, democratics are registering in droves, and Obama outnumbered the top three republicans in primary votes. I hope I am right.
Left&Left @ 15:
Sorry, but Mccain has nothingto do with that, just as McCains gaffe's have nothing to do with Obama.
Just political humor..pure and simple.
I didn't hear the Obama campain belittling Palin for being the mayor of a small town.
The best quote I heard all day for the religious folks on the right:
Jesus was a community organizer.....and Pontius Pilate was a governor.
I just watched the whole This Week interview here. I have really grown to loathe George Stuffinenvelopes!
IdiotShrub @ 5:
add racist and blood-thirsty to your list, and the gap closes.
jay @ 14:
Jay as a fellow Vietnam Vet I can appreciate your sentiment. Personally I feel like the baby boomers have already done enough damage through their collective willingness to sacrifice just about anyone and anything in the quest for material acquisition and leisure. The greatest generation didn't reign us in and we've run roughshod (in my opinion) over the planet allowing the likes of GWB to be at the helm for 8 years. I'm looking forward and am ready to let a new generation see if they can help undo some of the mess.
I respect McCain's service and sacrifice but I fear the effects of over 5 years of brutal treatment have rendered him unfit for command. In 2000 I might have considered him but the 2008 model is simply not seaworthy. I hope you'll keep an open mind during these remaining 60 days and perhaps have a change of mind considering that Obama has aligned himself with someone we both have respect for.
In the interview, Stuffinevelopes pressed Obama on the ridiculous talking point about "bucking your own party." Obama started off great, but faltered a bit.
Seriously folks, the McCain camp has played the Maverick card so well, that the media is pushing the meme that McCain is good because he has worked against the Republicans, and then seeks to find out when Obama worked against the Democrats.
Unfortunately, Obama often provides examples. That's the wrong way to answer this nonsense.
Here's what he should say, "Have you noticed that the McCain camp likes to talk about how McCain has a record of bucking his own party? You know why they like to talk about that? Because the Republicans are always wrong! And they're proud that they now have a candidate who has realized that at times? John McCain has recognized when we've been right, and worked with us on occasion. That's a strong point for them? Please! Do I buck my party a lot? No! Because we've been right on everything from health care to the war for the decade they've been in charge ruining the country. Seriously, you like that McCain works with the Democrats sometimes, vote for me. I am a Democrat!"
If you actually READ the whole part of the interview, Obama is saying that it's not the McCain campaign that is saying he follows the Muslim faith, it's Republican followers (like Hannity, Limbaugh, etc.) It wasn't a slip, he just didn't word it right. I'm sure this will be taken out of context and played up on Fox, as it is in the Washington Times.
McCain had no control over his convention, just as he had no contriol over his vice presidential pick.
"his excuse is that it was just her responding to them saying something about her being a mayor of a small town"
Am I missing something?? Wasn't she the mayor of a small town? So it's OK to diss community organizers? Pathetic!
The reason the Republican elites hate the idea of community service is because community service is what they have to do when their old man doesn't have enough money or political pull to get them off with only a warning.
Some of you may be too young to remember the Dukakis/George I campaign. Dukakis must have been an member of the ACLU because the Republicans made a mantra out of saying "a card-carrying member of the ACLU", always said in a sneering tone. I wonder if they (The Repigs) are not making a feeble attempt to turn "community organizer" into a similar weapon upon liberalism. I don't think it will work this time. BTW, too bad Romney wasn't the candidate because we could come back with his excuse why none of his five sons was in Iraq: campaigning for their father was their service to the country.
jay @ 1:
McCain claims to have gotten comfort during his time as a POW from an Abba song. A song that was not even released until 2 years after he was released - did you hear about that?
Emma Hussein Goldman @ 18:
No, Conservatives are blaming the Obama campaign for questions the media asked.
jay @ 1:
ya...but you made sure to point it out...and take it out of context...thx
with all due respect, your vp went to church for 20 years where they speak in tongues...and she sat by while director of the jews for jesus stated that jews deserved to die at the hands of terrorists, and that observant jews were evil
but im not saying that she hates jews, or is insane for thinking that screaming 'BLAHIUFIJAKAJNFKHEKTHAKHGLKANTLKEANTLKANTLKANTK;NL;" is speaking in tongues
GET THE FUCK OFF MY BOARD
McCain even mentioned in his speech to the RNC that young people needed to get out and do more for their communities.
Obama did that. So now he is the brunt of jokes.
They can be hypocritical about everything.
Chicken "Hussein" Little - Not! @ 22:
As a combat vet myself, I respect the point of view. I'm always open minded and will continue to be so. Frankly, the one thing that might drag me towards Obama would be if McCain came out and categorically refused to sign the same stem cell research bill that's been presented twice now...as president.
While my politics are conservative, i'm also a pragmatist. I think scientific questions should be left to science....go figure.
Failin and Fruity are scum, plain and simple.
Abraham Jackemoff @ 21:
A McPOW victory (with his ANGRY, solutionless, evil militant VP) will simply be a win for fear and bigotry.....Grandpa has no business contesting this Presidential race.
harley @ 27:
And I laughed then too...try it
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 29:
Unnecessary
Teri from Ohio @ 24:
"his excuse is that it was just her responding to them saying something about her being a mayor of a small town"
Am I missing something?? Wasn't she the mayor of a small town? So it's OK to diss community organizers? Pathetic!
It is a bit sad that this tactic works. They'll dig up a perceived smear against them, and then justify a new smear by saying "they did it first." Apparently, US politics is a game of King of the Castle.
Chicken "Hussein" Little - Not! @ 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMUgNg7aD8M
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 29:
Whoa, come on. Jay conceded that any attempt to smear Obama as a Muslim (I'm not sure why that's a smear in the first place) is "ludicrous," and only pointed out that his campaign workers might be concerned about the particular wording. Knowing full well that Republican operatives would love to take that out of context if they think it will work for them, I imagine many on the campaign did get tense during that moment.
Jay's been having polite discussions. What's with the hostility? Your board? Since when is it yours?
Palins more popular now with "them" then McCain.
Talk about gullible.
Everyone I know is pretty much insulted. Many of them are people who organize events and many of them are PTO mothers. I thought Palin was a PTO mom. If so, she just insulted them.
This is all white noise, smoke and mirrors designed to distract the "OOOH! Bright! Shiny!" American people from examining that McCain is old and now, powerless.
He wanted Lieberman or Ridge, but the Right saddled him with Palin. He has capititulated on almost everything he used to at least profess to believe (I have neither the time nor inclination to look into his soul) and what remains is a shell of a man.
If Bush and, yes, Reagan were marionettes with other, more powerful men behind the scenes pulling the strings, McCain is a sock puppet with big X's where the eyes would be.
Please, focus on the real issue - McCain is not fit to be president. Like I said, everything else in white noise and distraction.
PEACE
ruffmama @ 19:
Us religious folks on the left have known this forever. I'm hoping the right will listen, but I'm not counting on it.
AndrewK @ 36:
It is a bit sad that this tactic works. They'll dig up a perceived smear against them, and then justify a new smear by saying "they did it first." Apparently, US politics is a game of King of the Castle.
That's exactly what McCain was saying. Obama denigrated Palin's mayoralty, so she denigrated his community organizing. He responded the way a third grader would.
jay @ 34:
My point it Obama will be smeared for the next week to 10 days...as long as they can keep it going.
Why wasn't McCain asked aboput his infamous temper? Pushing the old lady in a wheelchair is incredible.
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 29:
Joe any chance you might be able to treat people with different viewpoints respectfully until they prove they don't deserve it. The idea is to communicate here. If all you're looking to do is insult folks who come here looking to investigate a different perspective from their own, how are you helping accomplish what we're looking for in Nov.?
Peace and respect
Karen @ 23:
Excellent. Any Obama aides out there? Take this to the man!
Teri from Ohio @ 24:
Context Schmontext (how's that for making up a word AND its likely spelling?),
And just because YOU can read doesn't mean that us ignorant folks don't want to get our "news" in snippets on FOX.
Damn, I can't even remember anything unless it's repeated OVER AND OVER on FOX. I could care less if it's true or not, I just need it repeated.
Now, what was I sayin?
mccain is an idiot. I cannot believe he keeps coming with the same maverick thing, "I disagreed with my party a lot" of course you did you tool, but when you did it meant you agreed with the dems (Obama), so why should Obama disagree with his party? Duh! The man is so mind numbingly stupid it's breath taking.
Liars and hypocrites!!! Since when is stating the facts "denigrating." She knows more about energy than anybody????? OMG.
McCain has no control over his campaign. He barely has control over his bowel movements and that depends on depends.
jay @ 31:
Jay, keep your eyes on that issue. The religious right and prominent evangelicals have become a driving force behind McCain's campaign. They had a hand in Palin's selection and are now out in full-force to pull in as many voters as possible. Their primary point is with McCain's statement in the Saddleback forum that he would be a pro-life president all the way that is going to bring some big changes for them. Overturning abortion laws would be a start, but stem cell research is on their list and would be an easier target than abortion. McCain will be in 'debt' to them if elected. Don't think they won't be calling that debt in!
Yeah, it was all in response to Karl Rove's denigrating the whole mayor/governor thing when he was talking about somebody else. Now we've gotten to the bottom of that one, my friends.
MSM is saying polls show McCain in the lead. Who do pollsters ask? Better yet, have they asked the millions of new registered voters? I myself have never been polled. And remember is 2006, the polls suggested the Repugs would hold on to enough seats in the house and senate.
He says he's taken on his party a lot. He's such a fucking liar. He has rolled over and adopted every shitty idea they hold dear. My head is going to explode before this election is over.
I don't watch much television. Has Fox News been showing Palin's wacky pastor 24/7?
Ali@55, I'm ready to explode. I find myself reaching for my Prozac.
Abraham Jackemoff @ 56:
That would actually rally the religious nut cases.
Gretchen the aspiring elitist @ 52:
Yep, The Council for National Policy The assembled were members of the Council for National Policy, an ultra-secretive cabal that networks wealthy right-wing donors together with top conservative operatives to plan long-term movement strategy.
CNP members have included Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Grover Norquist, Tim LaHaye and Paul Weyrich. At a secret 2000 meeting of the CNP, George W. Bush promised to nominate only pro-life judges; in 2004, then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told the group, "The destiny of the nation is on the shoulders of the conservative movement." This year, thanks to Sarah Palin's selection, the movement may have finally aligned itself behind the campaign of John McCain.
jay @ 14:
I'm a vet and I agree, I would like to see a veteran as our commander in chief. But not McCain.. He has voted against veterans issues way too many times..
Voted several times against increased funding the VA says they need, in a time of war when the veteran patients is ever increasing.
Didn't bother to show up to vote for the new GI Bill, but was strongly against it.
He supports the troops in words only..
"My point it Obama will be smeared for the next week to 10 days…as long as they can keep it going."--- Harley at 44
Next ten days ? They will smear him from now until Nov. 4th . What they can't twist out of context they will manufacture . They will be relentless and vicious. And it will originate from the office of the King of Smears, Karl Rove, who torpedoed McCain's campaign so well in 2000 that McPOWain had to swallow hard and hire him in 2008 .
McCain is a lying, hotheaded klutz but he will be the next president unless Obama can neutralize the Rovian battleship as effectively as McCain neutralized the U.S.S. Forrestall .
Mike @ 60:
He DID put a picture of Walter Reed Middle School on the backdrop during his convention address.
Watch George Stuffinenvelopes further the "Obama will increase your taxes" meme rather than extract real information about Obama's plans. The following is from the interview:
Stuffinevelopes: Yesterday that unemployment report came out, and here's what John McCain said. He said, 'My tax cuts will create jobs; his tax increases will eliminate them.'
Obama: Yeah, you know, John McCain has been peddling this story about me increasing taxes when every independent analyst has said my tax cuts provide three times the amount of tax relief to middle class families than do John McCain's. I mean, what he wants to do is essentially to not only continue the Bush tax cuts to the very wealthiest Americans, but he wants to double down with $200 billion in additional tax cuts to corporate America, including companies like Exxon Mobile. And what I have said is, Let's provide tax cuts to 95% of the American people. Because I have a different economic theory than George Bush's and John McCain's.
Stuffinevelopes: So, you---
Obama: I believe that the economy's going to grow from the bottom up, and if we give some relief to middle class families, they're going to do better.
Stuffinevelopes: Actually, the Tax Policy Institute says it's 81% of the American people; it's 95% families with children, but they also say you raise revenues by $600 billion over the next 10 years; he cuts revenues by $600 billion over the next 10 years. If we're in a recession or approaching one, is it wise to raise revenues in any way?
Obama: Well, I think it is wise if you've got half a trillion dollar deficit. I think it makes sense for us to make sure we're paying for what we're purchasing. If we're continuing to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, we can't keep on borrowing that on a credit card from the Chinese. So, you know, John McCain likes to talk about fiscal responsibility, but there is no doubt that his proposals blow a hole through the budget. And, you know, what I've said is, realistically, we're not going to be able to eliminate that budget deficit, but what we can do is stabilize it, stop digging a hole, give a tax break to middle class families, give them some relief, and that will start growing the economy again.
Stuffinevelopes: So, even if we're in a recession next January, you come into office, you still go through with your tax increases?
Obama No, no, no, no, no, no! What I've said, George, is that even if we're still in a recession, I'm going to go through with my tax cuts. That's my priority.
Stuffinevelopes: But not the increases?
Obama: I think we've got to take a look an see where the economy is.
IdiotShrub @ 5:
One word answer; Yes.
Lilybelle @ 4:
Agreed.
Capitalism destroys the traditional community and its social infrastructure, and replaces it with corporate alternatives for the individual.
For instance, seniors no longer care for the youngest children while mom & dad do their work and the older kids are at school. Now mom & dad pay for childcare, and pay for their parents' retirement home.
Instead of having our needs satisfied by being cooperative members of a community, we become financially enslaved to the corporate alternative.
Well, whatever he said, Obama's losing the battle. McCain now tops Obama in the Gallup. Get ready for four more years, and voters STILL asking themselves: "How did things get so screwed up??"
Abraham Jackemoff @ 62:
Did you know that he was also a POW?
@ Karen: George is one of the rich fucks. He's asking out of self interest, not public interest.
Karen @ 38:
I think it might be that some of us can see the real damage done to our country under this hypocritical theocratic administration full of self-proclaimed born-again Christians who have been exposed for their corruption and lies. Bush and DeLay are strong Evangelicals just like your Virgin Mary, Ms. Palin. I think most here would agree that McCain, though he "says" he disagrees with the Religious Right on many issues, his selection of his VP has shown to be a cynical one to appease these Pharisees of the right. After 8 years of Bush and his delusional spiritual advisors such as Robertson, Haggard, and Falwell, it sort of leaves a bad taste in our mouths for McCain water-carriers such as yourself.
SO GET THE FUCK OFF OUR BOARD!
jay @ 35:
]]
fuck that noise
necessary
i aint a christian, and i dont hold by the philosophy of turning the other cheek
you think he came here to warn us that obama mispoke, even if he really didnt?
mcoldfarts surrogates have been hammering at obama and michelle since day one, but we have to walk on tippytoes???
mccain lied thoughout his speech
palin has yet to utter one truth
well here is some truth
she supports israel cuz she believes in the end times...that bitch should not be allowed within 1000 miles of the nuke football
we already had 8 years of a guy who tried his damndest to bring about the end times...and now his surrogates are pushing towards the end zone trying to rile up the russians
if she gets into power...we are all fucking dead
Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 29: