Clipmarks | merrie's 'obama' clips

Now The Surge Is Succeeding?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:13:43 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: .......continued... But the National Intelligence Estimate of Jan 2007 said this:

Coalition capabilities, including force levels, resources, and operations, remain an essential stabilizing element in Iraq. If Coalition forces were withdrawn rapidly during the term of this Estimate, we judge that this almost certainly would lead to a significant increase in the scale and scope of sectarian conflict in Iraq, intensify Sunni resistance to the Iraqi Government, and have adverse consequences for national reconciliation.

OK, so Obama opposed a surge that succeeded and advocated a policy that the NIE said at the time would lead to a disaster in Iraq.

As to whether anyone could have predicted that the surge would be effective - well, Bush did introduce it this way in his January 2007 speech:

President's Address to the Nation

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-7.html

Clip Source: justoneminute.typepad.com

As recently as July, the Democratic presidential candidate declined to rate the surge a success, but said it had helped reduce violence in the country. On Thursday, Obama acknowledged the 2007 increase in U.S. troops has benefited the Iraqi people.

Here is an old post with links to the vast Obamafuscations last July when Obama struggled to pretend that (a) the surge was not successful and (b) he had always said the surge would succeed as it had. John Dickerson raised an excellent question about Obama's judgment:

If Obama was wrong about the tactical gains that would be made by the new strategy and wrong about how the Iraqi political leaders would react, can his larger theory about how Iraqis will respond to a troop pullout remain intact? Perhaps, but he has the burden of explanation.

Right - Obama will be in a big hurry to tackle that hypothetical "what if?" puzzle - how might Iraq have developed if his "surrender now" policy had been adopted in the winter of 2007? Who can tell?

Tags: obama concedes, surge successful

Credit Where It's Due [Mark Steyn]

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:46:17 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: I trust even now Maureen Dowd is working on a hilarious new column mocking proposed names for the Governor's first grandchild. Perhaps Richard Cohen can just take the week off and they can rerun his insightful analysis comparing the Palin nomination to Caligula making his horse a consul. Whereas we sophisticates all know that if McCain were as smart as Obama he'd have nominated a dead horse to be his consul. No wait...

Clip Source: corner.nationalreview.com

I would like to thank the US media for doing such a grand job this last week of lowering expectations by portraying Governor Palin - whoops, I mean Hick-Burg Mayor Palin - as a hillbilly know-nothing permapregnant ditz, half of whose 27 kids are the spawn of a stump-toothed uncle who hasn't worked since he was an extra in Deliverance.

How's that narrative holding up, geniuses? Almost as good as your "devoted husband John Edwards" routine?

Tags: sarah palin, us media, john edwards

Meanwhile, in the convention hall

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:30:58 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Ooooooooh, Sarah-Bara-COO-dah!
If you read the actual lyrics though, this clearly is a song to be sung by Barack Obama. He's just realized that he's about to be ambushed from the weeds by the Barracuda, and forced to his knees. Not long ago, he and "the porpoise" (Joe Biden, pre-hair plugs) were just "Selling a song," with "no right, no wrong" — just playing "a whisper game" involving a "name." This is clearly a reference to the "McSame" meme on which they were relying so much. And "sell me, sell you," the porpoise and the singer croon to each other in close harmony. Oh, yeah: It's about Obama and Biden, all right.

Clip Source: www.beldar.org

As I type this, the sound system from the GOP convention floor is cranked up all the way, playing Heart's galloping mega-hit from 1977 (my college graduation year, yay!) — "Barracuda."

And to think just how many times I've listened to this song over the last thirty years without realizing how profound it would become! And the background in this video (from back when the Wilson sisters were both incredibly hot) shows that, yes, it's patriotic!

[Video]

These GOP delegates are not a-skeered anymore about the notion of their Veep nominee debating Joe Biden, or Barack Obama for that matter. No, indeed, they're ready to start the pre-debate tail-gate party. Right now. Bring it, Slow Joe!

Many of us didn't even know how politically comatose we were. This is like being brought back from a long period of drugged unconsciousness, only to find out that while we were asleep, we all won the lottery! Pardon us if we feel a little bit giddy.

Tags: gop convention, sarah, debates

Blessed By Misfortune - McCain’s Speech

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:56:20 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: McCain has changed the GOP into the party outside the mess in DC and ready to clean it up. The liberals played the useful idiot roles by giving McCain the opportunity to go off speech and use them of an example of why hyper partisanship has destroyed DC. We don’t want purity to party, we want solutions to problems. McCain reminded us we can easily solve the aging and dysfunctional services like education, energy, taxes, security, etc.

McCain, through his own riveting personal story of transformation from self centered cocky fly boy to dedicated man of his country, reintroduced himself to America, and reintroduced us to ourselves. The speech was a huge hit. And the comparisons to Obama were striking.

Clip Source: strata-sphere.com

The John McCain I met tonight was incredibly Reaganesque as he reminded us that American pride comes from winning the fight - not from whining for handouts as victims.

We all know those things we have had to fight to gain, those times we were tested and succeeded, were the most memorable of our existence. Trivial and easy equals forgettable.

Obama and the left want to whine and moan about how hard it all is and how we must ask government to take care of us. Very European.

While the left wallow in the challenges facing this nation and wring their hands praying for government solutions, McCain said if government and gridlock gets out of the way we could fix them.

McCain wants to fix government so we can fix our problems. Obama wants us to hand our problems to the idiots in DC to fix, who got us in this mess in the first place.

If the do-nothing Congress would get out of the way we would be building nuclear power plants, drilling for oil here in the US and easing the cost of energy

Tags: mccain's speech, education, energy, taxes, security

VP Candidate Biden Is No Friend to File Sharing, Net Neutrality Protection or Online Privacy

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:47:41 GMT

clipped by: The REAL Napster
clipper's remarks: I wonder how many young voters know this about the choice their 'messiah' has made for them? I'll bet very few. I'll make sure the word quickly gets out.

Clip Source: gizmodo.com

VP Candidate Biden Is No Friend to File Sharing, Net Neutrality Protection or Online Privacy

CNet's Declan McCullagh wrote up an informative history of Joe Biden's tech-related voting record—if Biden's name rings a bell, it's because he's the guy Barack Obama picked to be his vice president last Friday night. Maybe you don't care about the doings in Washington, but you may want to know that Biden considers a lot of what you do care about criminal activity. Here's what I'm talking about:

• He asked Congress to spend $1 billion to monitor peer-to-peer activity. (In fairness, much of this is to prevent child pornography, but the tactic is apparently a little blunt.)

• He has expressed support for internet taxes and internet filtering in schools and libraries.

• Biden was one of just four senators invited to attend a celebration of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act hosted by the MPAA's Jack Valenti and the RIAA's Hillary Rosen, two of American file-sharer's most wanted.

Tags: joe biden, riaa, net neutrality, taxes, p2p, jail

Team Obama's Response to the Political Speech of the 21st Century

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:38:49 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: UPDATE (Wed Sep 3 @ 11:00pm): Here is the real Obama response. Lemme tell ya, if they can't tell the difference between George W. Bush and Sarah Barracuda, they have bigger problems than I ever suspected.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/03/yeah-it-was-a-good-speech-but/

Clip Source: www.beldar.org

I just heard Brit Hume read aloud the Obama-Biden campaign's response to Gov. Palin's acceptance speech. It went:

George Bush. George Bush. George Bush.

That's not an exact quote, but it's awfully close. I promise you there was no other substance to it at all.

Meantime, I'm very sure I can hear a thin, persistant whine. (It's all the air going out of the Obama balloon.)

Prediction: The smear attempts will return with renewed force and extra desperation before dawn tomorrow. But it's too late.

America has a new sweetheart.

Tags: gov. palin's acceptance speech, team obama response

A Recovering L.A. Times Reporter Blogs Sarah Live

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:47:19 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: 7:57 p.m.: I’m guessing Jack Bauer of “24″ would vote for Gov. Palin.

8:01 p.m.: Holy crap! She’s a pitbull and has opened a can of Whoop-ass on Barack Obama.

8:05 p.m.: Palin has managed to make Obama look insignificant, McCain appear heroic, and herself: a grassroots American who won’t back down from a fight.

8:09 p.m.: Palin has just hijacked the presidential campaign. I’ve got a skeptical, Obama-loving wife and some liberal sons, and they all think she killed it.

8:11 p.m.: She gets bonus points if that skirt is actually leather.

8:13 p.m.: Incredible visuals at the end: pregnant teenage daughter, goofy (but handsome) father of teenage daughter’s baby, Down’s Syndrome baby. Does anyone not have a tear in their eye?

williamlobdell.com

Clip Source: williamlobdell.com

7:33 p.m.: Great so far. Keeping the spotlight on McCain.

7:35 p.m.: Wow. Playing the mom and aunt card! Nice!

7:36 p.m.: How uncomfortable is that boyfriend? He should be at his senior prom, not on display at the RNC.

7:37 p.m.: Mother of a military man. Mother of a special needs child? What’s next? Mother of a pregnant teenager? Hold on.

7:39 p.m.: Did you see Cindy McCain checking out Todd Palin? My wife is in LOVE!

7:41 p.m.: Is hockey an American sport?

7:42 p.m.: So far, she’s killing it.

7:46 p.m.: Do you hear that? It’s America falling in love with Sarah Palin.

7:48 p.m.: Governor’s jet on E-Bay? Classic.

7:52 p.m.: She’s made a great impression. Tough administrator, not a part of the old boys’ network. As my wife just said, “She makes me want to go to Alaska.”

7:54 p.m.: The line about “authoring two memoirs” but not a single bill in the Senate was great.

7:56 p.m.: Oh boy. She is Obama’s worst nightmare. An attractive politician with a great sense of humor is a lethal combo.

Tags: sarah palin, rnc, william lobdell-blogger

And the Beast Shall Eat Itself

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:54:39 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: A hot microphone, a revelation of dishonesty, and the violation of a long-held gentleman's agreement destroyed the credibility of the Wall Street Journal's Peggy Noonan today, and may have changed the complexion of the American news media forever.

Noonan revealed herself a hypocrite, and MSNBC, a network that has abandoned all illusions of objective journalism in favor of naked advocacy for Barack Obama and an exclusive allegiance to partisan politics of the far left wing of the Democratic Party, shattered a common courtesy between journalists, in order to tear another journalist down for a minor temporary gain.

All bets are off now, all gentleman's agreements dead.

Clip Source: confederateyankee.mu.nu

Noonan published an article just this morning labeling Sarah Palin as "a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy."

This same afternoon on MSNBC after a segment with NBC's Chuck Todd, Republican consultant Mike Murphy and Noonan were captured on still-live microphones ridiculing McCain's running mate.

[Video]

With that leak, Noonan's credibility as a columnist was severely damaged if not destroyed, a fact she seems to realize even as she becomes the first casualty as a long held gentleman's agreement among journalists to overlook each others biases, faults, mistakes and lies has been ripped apart. The media now no longer looks after their own, and naked partisanship is now the order of the day.

After being exposed, Noonan wrote that she was "mugged by the nature of modern media," which is both absolutely true and utterly irrelevant.

Every indication is that the raw video was leaked directly from an increasingly partisan MSNBC to liberal blog Talking Points Memo.

Tags: msnbc, chuck todd, mike murphy, peggy noonan, sarah palin, john mccain, talking points memo

Who Vetted Obama? AIM Column | By Cliff Kincaid | Sept. 2, 2008

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:43:16 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: We are living witnesses to an incredible media double standard, whereby a Republican vice-presidential candidate’s personal life is being torn apart, while the Democratic presidential candidate continues to get a free ride. Obama has a 30-year history of associating with unsavory characters, beginning with communist Frank Marshall Davis and continuing with Jeremiah Wright and communist terrorists Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, which should disqualify him from getting a security clearance in the government that he wants to run.

Clip Source: www.aim.org

The Washington Post reported that John McCain’s vetting process for picking Governor Sarah Palin included an FBI background check. Other reports dispute this. But when did the FBI investigate Obama? Who vetted him?

But the media would rather talk about Republicans and sex.

Tags: gov. sarah palin, john mccain, vetting process, frank marshall davis, jeremiah wright, bill ayers bernadine dohrn, obama

CNN's "Fair and Unbiased" News Reporting on Both Sides

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:11:23 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: .......As a big fan of truth in advertising, I like it!...

Clip Source: exurbanleague.com

Looks like McCain is tired of the wall-to-wall anti-Palin rhetoric of CNN:

According to CNN, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) pulled out of a scheduled interview with the network after a segment with Campbell Brown and a top McCain spokesman Monday night in which Brown asked for examples of a foreign-policy decision made by Republican vice president pick Sarah Palin.

McCain was scheduled to appear on Larry King Live, but CNN's Wolf Blitzer said Tuesday that the campaign told the news network they thought Brown's interview with spokesman Tucker Bounds was "over the line."

CNN said it disagreed and it is committed to covering both sides of issues.

Yep, Obama's side and Biden's side.

In other news, CNN has officially decided to change their logo:

Tags: cnn, obama/biden, mccain/palin

Obama's Misleading, Confusing Abortion Rights Ads

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:28:55 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Obama’s new radio ad tells voters McCain “will make abortion illegal” is airing widely in at least seven swing states.

Kate Michelman, an informal Obama adviser who is the former president of the abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America, said she expected the campaign to expand its appeal to women on issues of abortion rights.

“This is a door opened to a longer campaign and strategic effort to ensure that women know the truth about John McCain and Gov. Palin,” she said, suggesting it would come “on the radio, in the mail, on the phones, and in the organizing on the ground.”

Though the campaign says the ad was released before Palin was chosen, Michelman said her selection, and her strong anti-abortion stance, would drive the issue closer to the center of the race.

“By his nomination of Gov. Palin, McCain has made his opposition to a woman’s right to decide a major campaign issue,” she said.

Clip Source: www.politico.com

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Barack Obama has launched a broadside against John McCain’s opposition to abortion rights and moved one of the most divisive issues in modern American politics to the airwaves on a large scale for the first time in this presidential campaign.

Obama supports abortion rights, though he was criticized by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary for avoiding votes on controversial abortion issues.

McCain aides didn’t respond to a question about the ad, but Republican Party communications director Danny Diaz responded by attacking Obama's opposition to an Illinois bill that advocates said would protect babies who survived abortions, and critics said was an attempt to limit all abortions.

“Barack Obama voted against a bill that would have protected infants born alive having survived an abortion attempt," said Diaz. "He has offered misleading statements on the issue and is now trying to confuse voters by attacking Senator McCain."

Tags: obama ad campaign, naral, pro-choice america,

Gingrich Slams MSNBC's Allen Concerning Palin's Qualifications

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:40:06 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Newt then challenged Allen:

I'd like you to tell me one thing Sen. Obama's done.

With that, Allen retreated, and said:

Thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm going to leave it there. I'm not going to argue the case. Thanks very much.

Hmmm. Imagine that. I guess folks like Allen are only willing to argue the case when there's nobody playing the part of the defense attorney.

How convenient.

video :52

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/09/03/gingrich-slams-msnbcs-allen-concerning-palins-qualifications

Clip Source: newsbusters.org

Such marvelously occurred Tuesday evening on the convention floor in St. Paul when MSNBC's Ron Allen said to the former Speaker, "But to be fair, her resume is not something we're familiar seeing with presidential candidates."

This didn't sit well with Gingrich who strongly replied

It's stronger than Barack Obama's. I don't know why you guys walk around saying this baloney. She has a stronger resume than Obama. She's been a real mayor, he hasn't. She has been a real governor, he hasn't. She's been in charge of the Alaskan National Guard, he hasn't. She was a whistleblower who defeated an incumbent mayor. He has never once shown that kind of courage. She's a whistleblower who turned in the chairman of her own party and got him fined $12,000. I've never seen Obama do one thing like that. She took on the incumbent governor of her own party and beat him, and then she beat a former Democratic governor in the general election. I don't know of a single thing Obama's done except talk and write

Tags: st.paul, rnc, newt gingrich, msnbc's ron allen, obama

GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele: Campaign Coverage 'Has Been a Joke'

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:54:19 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: I just look at how they chewed up Hillary to get to Barack. And so, you know, what they were trying to figure outwho's the best player to go up against the Republican establishment.... Certainly the race issue would be one of those landmines that they figured the party would have to deal with. So I think in terms of how the media has approached this more broadly speaking has been pitiful.... You know as well as I do, if the shoe were on the other foot, they would be scrutinizing the heck out of a black Republican or a Hispanic Republican [running for president].

How true.

Great video: 3:35

Clip Source: newsbusters.org

[Video]

Yesterday NewsBusters caught up with GOPAC chairman and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele at the Xcel Center, site of the Republican National Convention.

Steele told us the coverage of the campaign so far has "been a joke," and that "if the shoe were on the other foot, [media] would be scrutinizing the heck out of a black Republican or a Hispanic Republican" running for president.

Some excerpts of that interview are below, starting with Steele's reaction to the disparity in scrutiny of Sens. McCain and Obama (video available here):

It's been a joke, quite frankly... there's been a coronation, there's been facilitation of his [Obama's] agenda, but there hasn't been any serious scrutiny of where this two-term state senator comes from, what makes him tick, what he really believes, what is his philosophical orientation, and it's, I think, rather unfortunate. [...]

Tags: gopac chairman/fmr.md.lt.gov.michael steele, media bias, obama agenda

Joe Biden, Change We Can Drink To!

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:09:16 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: About Biden’s obnoxious and public displays of drunkenness…

…If this is how he acts ON CAMERA when campaigning, imagine what might go on behind closed doors when he’s truly under pressure, like for instance, in the Oval Office during a crisis…

And as Team Obama takes aim at Sarah Palin for being a national security lightweight, more and more people are finding that charge to be hypocritical. First off, Obama himself (ya know, the candidate at the TOP of the ticket) has ZERO foreign policy creds. And now it’s becoming increasingly apparent that his VP choice is a lightweight in more ways than one.

Don’t you think it’s a little more important for the media to unearth whether Biden has an alcohol problem, than to worry about Sarah Palin’s 17 year old daughter and whether she is pregnant or not?

http://theconservativepost.com/WordPress/?p=540

Clip Source: texasdarlin.wordpress.com

Elect Obama, and THIS guy is but a heartbeat away…

[Video]

Yeah, I’ll take my chances with Sarah. In a heartbeat.

Clip Source: texasdarlin.wordpress.com

A couple of days ago we asked if Biden was drinking on the job, based on a video from the campaign trail in which he staggered on the stage and slurred his speech when introducing his wife Jill, and both Obamas.

Now, this second video has emerged, on No Quarter and elsewhere…

[Video]

You are NOT hallucinating and this is not a camera trick, the man singing and dancing above IS Joe Biden, and as can be easily assessed, he is disgustingly DRUNK.

After trying to paint Palin as an “inexperienced” candidate, a clearly ridiculous attempt since their main candidate fares far worse than her in this aspect, they are now trimming down their attack to only one complaint: “She doesn’t have ANY National Security experience!”

Tags: joe biden, obama, campaign trail

Fred Thompson Speech (RNC Convention)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:12:00 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Once upon a time, Fred Thompson ran for president. His campaign was inexplicably late in starting and never got any traction. A lot of conservatives were disappointed because they were looking for a more traditional candidate to fill a perceived void. The choices in 2008 came down to Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and John McCain. We still do not know why Fred Thompson ran such a poor campaign, a question that will not be answered in his RNC convention speech.

'Character you can believe in' 3:02 video at website
Fred Thompson says Sen. John McCain has the character that America can "believe in".

Clip Source: www.rightpundits.com

The job of Fred Thompson’s speech is to provide red-meat to the GOP faithful including ridiculing Obama for his gooey abortion views. He will defend Sarah Palin’s honor against the recent sexist attacks from Barack Obama’s campaign and discuss his long-term friendship with presidential candidate John McCain. Thompson worked with McCain in the Senate as one of the upper chamber’s coalition builders.

Undoubtedly the prurient network cameras will capture luscious pictures of Fred Thompson’s wife. Let there be no mistaking that the gorgeous Mrs. Thompson is a lookers rival for Sarah Palin at this convention. Stale interviews just do not do the women justice.

Where is Keith Olbermann? Did Dan Abrams replace him on MSNBC’s convention team?

Tags: rnc, john mccain, fred thompson