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Obama: Hillary Throwing "the China" at Me
April 20, 2008 9:57 AM
In Downingtown, Pa., Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., took the remark by the Clinton campaign -- that she would be employing the "kitchen sink" strategy against him -- a step further.
"You know, over the last several weeks since she fell behind, she's resorted to what's called 'kitchen sink' strategies," Obama said, per ABC News' Sunlen Miller. "She's got the kitchen sink flying, and the china flying, and the, you know, the buffet is coming at me.
"And, you know, look, I come from Chicago, I know politics is hard, you know, it's not for the faint of heart, I understand that," Obama continued. "But when we end up involved in these constant distractions, these petty, trivial slash-and-burn, back-and-forth, tit-for-tat politics, so that we no longer talk about the things that the American people care about, that may be good for the television ratings, but it's not good for you."
Forgoing for a moment any discussion over the "china" metaphor -- certainly one that, intended or not, feeds into the "harridan" caricature of Clinton -- how on Earth can Obama with a straight face decry these "distractions" when his campaign that very same day organized a conference call to harp on Clinton's Bosnia-sniper-fire gaffe?
On that call, veterans of the conflict in Bosnia, who support Obama, attacked Clinton as having no credibility because of that false story. Gen. Walter Stewart (Ret.) said, "One of the inherent duties of the president of the United States is to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day. Now, we can assume, and let's keep in mind that Senator Clinton has said she was under sniper fire -- or she joked about it, which, to me, was the cruelest part of all this, she joked about it with Jay Leno.
"We can make an assumption here that the honored dead within the Tomb of the Unknown was killed by a sniper. Imagine the lack of moral authority she has now to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day. I'll say this as a Vietnam veteran, hundreds -- we can speculate about how the 'Unknown' died -- but you go over to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and certainty, there are hundreds on that wall that died under sniper fire. That's the incident, I think, in a nutshell."
Is Clinton's Bosnia-sniper-fire story not a "distraction," while Rezko, Wright, Ayers, Bitter-gate, and the flag pin are "distractions"?
- jpt
April 20, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (356)
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dj: Wake up and smell the coffee. Hillary wins big in PA. O can't close after Oprah, the Kennedys alive and dead, MLK, tons of money, a misogynist press cable and hard copy 24/7. No wins in the states that THE DEMOCRATS win and THE SWING states that the democrats need to win.
Clinton/Edwards 08! I believe and hope we can change the way the world treats women. Hillary is the way to create real change real fast!
Posted by: AmazonTraveler | Apr 22, 2008 8:23:46 AM
How about this, since my post was removed. In answer to jbate, you totally did not read my first post. I'll reword my 2nd post in the form of a question and hopefully someone who knows will answer. Is it illegal to burn the American flag?
Posted by: RL in Illinois | Apr 21, 2008 9:08:52 PM
amazon traveler,
I think that you have been in the amazon too long!!
How in the world can you possibly excuse Hillary for the Bosnia issue?
Don't you see the deep implications of what she said?? Wake up and stop drinking that snake oil that the Clintons are handing out.
Face the FACTS. The Clintons are a discrace to this country. They proved it in the past and now they are proving it big time with this Bosnia issue. Look how Bill outright lied last week to try to squash this Bosnia thing. Hillary got right on him and shut him up. Just look into their faces when they told these lies and see how good they are. They are really convincing but any intelligent person can see right through these scam artists.
Clinton can't even manage her own campain. She's broke due to her mis management. How could she ever manage this country!!
Posted by: dj | Apr 21, 2008 7:05:45 PM
It's so easy to confuse getting shot at by snipers with receiving a poem of peace from an eight-year-old. Natural mistake. Just ask Hillarious.
Posted by: jbate | Apr 21, 2008 7:00:18 PM
It's so easy to confuse getting shot at by snipers with receiving a poem of piece from an eight-year-old. Natural mistake. Just ask Hillary
Posted by: jbate | Apr 21, 2008 6:56:11 PM
So what? Obama has been throwing the toilet at Clinto 3 to 1. Why is no one asking where Obama is getting all him monies. Americans know that its not from average Americans. I don't know many Americans that can afford $1,000 (50% of all Obama donations).
ABC had one American that has given each month $50. This is a bit short of $1,000. This means that 241,000 donors gave Obams $1,000. This is allot of average Americans but not those that make the average American pay.
Posted by: Dr Hubert, Lt Col, USAF Retired | Apr 21, 2008 6:43:23 PM
RL in Illinois:
This country is not about a flag pin; it’s not about a flag; it is more about a citizens right to burn that flag in protest. Anyone who thinks wearing a flag pin makes them patriotic is sick. It’s like a baby that cries, not because it hurts, but because it wants others to think it hurts. This country is about the right of a person to get up and put forth an opinion that others might totally disagree with, and you have the right to protest it . That is what America is about, that is what we should celebrate. Our military fights for our Constitutional right to burn that flag if we wish. It’s called freedom of speech. The right to express ourselves any way we wish.
Posted by: jbate | Apr 21, 2008 6:38:27 PM
Jackie:
Hillary did not just "embellish the landing at Bosnia," she told an elaborate, bald-faced lie that she had given a lot of thought to. She told this lie on at least three (3) separate occasions. Thank God for Sinbad for revealing this lie. And when Hillary was first questioned about it, she said: "Well you know Sinbad's a comedian," and just laughed it off. She had the nerve to laugh it off again on Jay Leno.
What moral posture does she have to lay the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier on Memorial Day - none.
Posted by: rhbate | Apr 21, 2008 6:31:57 PM
Yeah, he's from Chicago alright. Gutter politics. I don't think the retired general realized that the ONLY reason Obama put the flag pin on that day was to get the veterans to vote for him. Soldiers are dying in Vietnam at the same time Obama's Weather Underground friends are killing people in the US. Bad comparison, general.
Posted by: RL in Illinois | Apr 21, 2008 6:17:19 PM
Ou Tai:
I agree with you. Also, it should be noted the Hillary served on the board of Wal-Mart where her main function was the do all she can to suppress any efforts by the employee to establish a union. She succeeded: there is no union at Wal-Mart even today.
Posted by: jbate | Apr 21, 2008 6:00:16 PM
Misogyny is his campaign. That's not the china that is breaking, that's the Obama curtain coming down in a real campaign with real voting, not the keg parties. That't the money flowing out wasted on meaningless ads that say what he says... nothing.
Wait I hear the millions of women slamming the doors of their homes as they head to the polls with a car load of their girlfriends, they're voting for Hillary.
Millions of smart men listened in and they are setting a great example by taking their daughters to the polls so they can see their dad voting for Hillary.
Another major state, PA, goes for Hillary.
NC early voting picking up and the drum beat is Hillary! Hillary!
Indiana will go with Hillary!
Whine and rhyme now.
Posted by: AmazonTraveler | Apr 21, 2008 5:49:28 PM
It's not only insulting to the military but also to civilians that have been hurt or killed by sniper fire. MLK for one and all the innocent people caught in the crossfire of inner city gangs etc. If ANY military officer ever lied and then joked about sniper fire they would be discharged immediatly. The commander in chief should be held to an even higher standard. Hillary has disqualified herself for being pres. I believe that she should be kicked out of the senate for her lie and joke about it. Ask the families that lost loved ones to sniper fire. They must be furious with Hillary. On MLK's anniversary Hillary was all teary eyed. Now a couple of weeks later she is joking about the very thing that killed him!! Ask Ted Kennedy what he went through after his brothers were killed by snipers.
Posted by: dj | Apr 21, 2008 3:29:36 PM
Give me a break, Tapper. It wasn't a 'gaffe', it was a damn lie and her subsequent joke about it on late night tv was an insult to military personnel both living and dead.
Posted by: noahsmom823 | Apr 21, 2008 3:01:49 PM
Jeanie, you wrote: "If he (Sen. Obama) believed that America was populated by racists, he wouldn't run. Duh!!"
There is so much wrong with that statement. First of all, Sen. Obama is well aware of the White Supremists groups who live in America. So it isn't a case of believing, he knows, they are out there. He also knows, not just believes, that there are African-Americans who deeply believe in Black Liberation Theology. So Sen. Obama KNOWS that America IS populated by racists. They may not be in the majority, but they are out there none the less. And he IS still running for the office of President of the United States.
Now then, I don't know whether Sen. Obama, personally, believes in Black Liberation Theology or not. But I find it very difficult to accept that a person who has been surrounded by Black Liberation theologists for nearly all of his adult life, can be totally oblivious to the tenants of the movement. It's nothing like the case that you point out regarding Sen. Clinton (if true). She didn't have a choice. Her father was her father. But in Sen. Obama's case he CHOSE to surround himself with individuals who believe, support and actively promote Black Liberation Theology.
People have a right to believe the way they want to. However if someone is running for the office of President of the United States, the electorate has a right to know whether a candidate is a White Supremist or a believer in Black Liberation Theology.
Posted by: James Danley | Apr 21, 2008 2:04:02 PM
surfer,
Read the article above by Tapper again. He is NOT siding with Clinton. He is pointing out the serious nature of her Bosnia lie and her then joking about it.
Posted by: dd | Apr 21, 2008 1:11:22 PM
Rev Wright is not running for President,there is a trial on for Retzco,If Obama is implicated in anything illegal,it will come to light and he will have to pay.
Comments in San Francisco are exactly that,one can either accept Obama's explanation or not.What he said cannot be said to be immoral even if one accepts his explanation or not.
For Mr Tapper to not see the giant character flaw in someone who would continously give speeches in which a blatant LIE is repeated to make that someone look more heroic,shows Mr Tapper lack of objectivity and now blatant bias against Sen Obama, By the way which he has exhibited against Sen Obama numerous times before.Maybe he was slighted by Sen Obama before or maybe after watching the last debate,ABC has made it an unofficial policy to keep the democratic primary going for business reasons or they are simply in the tank for Sen Clinton.
Posted by: surfer | Apr 21, 2008 1:01:36 PM
I think Obama is going through some kind of mid-life crisis. He's pretty immature for a 47 year old man.
Guess he has to appear cool to keep the young voters.
I'll take experience, depth, patriotism any day.
Go Hillary...or McCain if Obama wins the nomination.
Posted by: cindy | Apr 21, 2008 12:16:50 PM
"Is Clinton's Bosnia-sniper-fire story not a "distraction," while Rezko, Wright, Ayers, Bitter-gate, and the flag pin are "distractions"?"
Well... yes. Clinton's story was a blatant lie uttered by herself on multiple occasions. Rezko, Wright, Ayers are all 'guilt-by-association' efforts, the 'bitter-gate' incident was one badly-phrased remark which regardless had a large element of truth to it, and the flag pin? Are you kidding me?
Posted by: Aengil | Apr 21, 2008 10:03:34 AM
Now Obama is showing sexism, would you use the analogy if Hilary was a male, I do not think so!
Obama is throwing more dirty politics then any in history!!
He is a deceitful lying individual that meets with terrorists!
Posted by: spock | Apr 21, 2008 10:01:47 AM
campaign organized a conference call?
who in obama's campaign?
who was the conference call to?
cause the only facts in this story tell me it was a group that supports obama speaking out. not obama.
the way i see it hillary should be talking about substance, not attacks. true, obama is talking about attacks in a hibrow manner, but - he aint the one doing the attacking. the difference is important to me.
Posted by: josh | Apr 21, 2008 9:29:44 AM
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