A case of premature obfuscation?

Jackie

Well, surprise, surprise!

By the way, YouTube seems to have become very, how can I put it, odd over the last 12 months.

I notice an awful lot of videos related to Obama have had the comments section disabled so you can't actually put anything underneath them.

The removal of that Alexrod video clearly isn't because it was distasteful. What other reason can there be for removing it other than to try to prevent St Barack from having to answer embarrassing questions?

How will he calm his nerves over this? Rahm, can you pop out and get an extra packet of Silk Cut for St Barack today?

rcamill

it would appear that the pidgeons coming home to roost have not yet quite landed

rcamill

it would appear that as far as the president elect is concerned the pidgeons have not yet quite come home to roost

Mark

Notice that Obama (mincing words like Clinton)corrects himself in the following quote, obviously trying to deny his own direct involvement in the scandal while implying that his staff knew what was going on.'I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.' And similarly, Axelrod's correction states that Obama did not speak directly to Blagojevich, which implies that Obama and the governor had contact indiretly through intermediaries.

Israel

"And as Tapper observes, while there is nothing to connect Obama to any of the crimes with which Blagojevich is accused of committing."

It still doesn't stop people trying to link him to the crimes of this real life "Diamond" Joe Quimby, who should be easy to convict if you haave read the transcripts of the conversations (all the blogs l normally read want him convicted now!!).

One thing is for sure, companies that make tissues are going to make a lot of money in the next few weeks from right wingers having a large amout of Rich Lowry "little starburst" moments over this.

What is really amusing is the praise of Pat Fitzgerald from those echoing Karl Rove and Kyle Sampson who wanted rid of Fitzgerald DURING the Libby investigation.

Frank P

Btw

It's worth popping over to Protein Wisdom where Dan and the gang are having fun with the Big Onion:

http://proteinwisdom.com/

Conservative Cabbie

I think that judging by what has been released so far, Obama seems reasonably free from suspicion, at least of the main charge. Although there may be questions about whether he or his team reported a request for bribery to the authorities.

I think the problem here could be the increased attention to Chicago politics that the media will now pay, they must be thinking that there is a lot more juice there if they dig deeper. The worry for Obama then is what they find - I don't believe for a minute that any politician could rise so quickly to the top in such a politically corrupt enviroment without getting a bit dirty himself from time to time.

Highlander

Another "misspoke" moment. How many times did we hear that phrase during Obama's campaign? How many more times will we hear it during his administration? These events are no surprise to those of us who were paying attention to who Obama really is in the run up to the election.

To Obama supporters: is this the hope and change you were talking about?

John Birch

Conservative Cabbie: Your take seems sensible and there is the potential for something in the future to emerge.

Israel: You're right--how does this Patrick Fitzgerald square with the one the right derided as being a partisan Democrat?

andy c

The Melanie Phillips Tar Brush strikes again.

Funny how no self respecting media will give the time of day to her Obama slanders, except this sorry site.

An American

andy c

Are you actually calling all of the left leaning, socialist media...self respecting?

Go drink some more Kool-aid...

Bill M

andy c,

Hello? Perhaps you should criticize the self-respecting Chicago Tribune as well. Pull your head out of the sand. Courtesy ignorant truth-denying Obama-zombies' like you that voted for this liar-elect we four years of scandal surrounding this inexperienced empty suit we can look forward to.

Israel

andy c:

"The Melanie Phillips Tar Brush strikes again.

Funny how no self respecting media will give the time of day to her Obama slanders, except this sorry site."

andy, andy, andy!! Obama slanders have been going on for the last two years and are about to get a lot worse, just wait until febuary next year!!! They have been reported in media that probably should know better, but times are tight and papaers have to be sold so start getting used to the republican smear machine being rebuilt from the wreckage of two bad election defeats.

Melanie's bad case of SBMS is not unique to this site or the right wing in general so might as well suck it up my friend!!

An American

Barrack Hussein Obama will use his full name when he takes the oath to become President of the United States.

During the two years that Barrack Hussein Obama ran for the presidency, it was considered to be politically impolite to use his middle name of Hussein...In fact people who had the nerve to use Hussein in reference to Obama were given a very bad time by the media. Some were demanded to apologize.

Barack Hussein Obama said that he was just following what other previous presidents had done in using their middle names.

In fact, a large portion of our presidents have not used their middle name or have used an middle initial.

Well...at least one good thing is coming of all of this...we will all now be 'allowed' to use Hussein when we damm well want to...without being called a bigot or a terrorist monger.

I guess his 'stick it in our American eyes' is worth it to Barrack Hussein Obama.

Israel

An American:

I'm glad to see you are still posting!! I thought that you would be in an emergency room somewhere with the rest of the wingernuts having muscle relaxants injected your dominant hand to get it out of it's claw shape after this Rich Lowry "little starbursts" moment!!!

Love the attempted switch of the Kool-Aid message.

Shaun Harbord

Pathetic. You say, "shopping the seat to as many as 7 potential candidates -- including, indirectly, Barack Obama." Don't you reaise how nonsensical that is? Why on earth would Obama be interested in the post he's leaving? Especially given the job he's moving to!! This is just web paranoia and tittle-tattle. That you give it a moment's attention would be bad enough, that you take it seriously, reflects only on you.

Insufficiently Sensitive

"Read my lips"??? That was George H.W. Bush declaring 'no new taxes'. Unless Bill Clinton used the expression to misdirect attention away from another part of his anatomy.

Saturn

The mainstream media’s attitude to the Rod Blagojevich revelations are merely a continuation of the way that they behaved during the election. David Axelrod says of Obama 'I know he's talked to the governor’ while Obama says: 'I had no contact with the governor or his office.'

So which of these two is misleading the American public? The mainstream media apparently isn’t interested in political credibility when it comes to Obama.

I noticed this most during the election, not just in the way that revelations such as this didn’t make the news bulletins but in the shape of the ‘satire’ that was being served up by the mainstream media. This disparity between Axelrod’s remarks and Obama’s remarks goes right to the heart of political credibility. Yet what’s the betting things like The Daily Show will mention these contradictory answers?

In an election, you would expect that a person’s political character was fair game for criticism and satire and, to some extent, parts of their personal life too - especially if it relates to the image you put across of yourself. Yet the mainstream media seemed to turn this on its head for Barack Obama. The squeaky clean family man image is completely undermined by the fact that he was toking away behind the scenes, but we never heard the mainstream satirists mention this.

More importantly, though, and for the first time I can remember in an election, one candidate’s political character seemed almost off limits. The one area in which you’d expect no holds barred satirical commentary is a candidate’s political character, yet for Barack Obama this never happened in the mainstream media. Just look at the way people were shouted down in whatever forum - satirical or otherwise - for daring to mention Tony Rezko (convicted felon and campaign funder), Rev Wright (mentor, pastor and anti-white racist), Bill Ayers (political soulmate) and so on.

So flip it back the other way, to the way so many ‘satirists’ targeted McCain and Palin.
Did they go by and large for their political character? Not only were the attacks on these two mainly personal but they were on things that are normally way off limits - in Palin‘s case people targeted her young children in a way that I have never seen in any other political campaign.

The people who sanctimoniously squealed the loudest when people tried to put Obama’s real political character in the spotlight decided to attack McCain and Palin almost exclusively on their personal character.

Chris Rock was delivering routines tearing into John McCain not for his politics, oh no, but for his status as a war hero (Mr Rock’s ‘joke’ was that he wanted a war hero who wasn’t caught) and his age (just pure spite about McCain not being compos mentis). None of it amounted to satirising political character at all. It was all well below the belt.

And when it came to Palin, the normal rules of engaging with political character for laughs were abandoned by many for pure venom. We all know of plenty of examples, Russell Brand on the MTV Awards and so on, but because of a new Ofcom ruling, I have just been made aware of this ‘satirical’ attack on Palin aired on the BBC (whose leading TV news bulletins have so far carried nothing on the Blagojevich affair).

This is what was aired on the Nemone (the presenter’s Christian name) show on BBC 6 Music, 12 September 2008, 13:00 hours, so this is early afternoon, (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/prog_cb/obb123/):

Doug Stanhope: [Ms Palin] is a 44 year-old mother of five, two of which are retarded.

Nemone Metaxus: These are your, [laughs] obviously, your views…

Doug Stanhope: One’s got Down’s Syndrome and the other volunteered for Iraq . So that’s two retards out of five.... Oh nothing. They give me nothing, nothing but blank looks.

Nemone Metaxus: Doug this is your opinion, your opinion of what’s happening back home, so obviously, if something kicks off in America …

Doug Stanhope: For Pete’s sake, don’t stare at me like that. The woman has a baby with Down’s Syndrome; how can America get behind her when even God obviously hates her. [laughs]

Nemone Metaxus: I think we’ll leave that to you. That’s obviously what you think about I’m sure there are some….

Doug Stanhope: So that’s some of the stuff we’ve been dealing with.

To make matters worse, the BBC, and this appears just underneath that transcript on that Ofcom website link, went beyond the pale even more than those remarks had gone beyond the pale by suggesting there was something 'edgy' about calling people with Down's ‘retards’. We see under the subheading of the word ‘Response’:

‘The broadcaster pointed out that BBC 6 Music is aimed at an adult audience and that Friday’s edition of Nemone in particular, regularly features guests with edgier, more adult orientated material.’

This is what posters such as ‘andy c’ refer to as ‘self respecting media’. They’ve no room to talk about the contradictory answers over whether Barack Obama did or did not have contact with Rod Blagojevich, but if you’ve got a reputation for spewing spite about Sarah Palin they can’t get you to a microphone quick enough. Doug Stanhope was delivering that material about Sarah Palin well before he got near a BBC microphone.

Here are the same ’jokes’ performed live by Stanhope in front of a stand-up crowd - in August well before BBC appearance - so this was obviously a routine Stanhope felt comfortable enough to repeat again and again in front of live audiences (perhaps it will be pulled off YouTube like that Axelrod video):

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=R8hlj_UFi-g

The fact that this ‘comedian’ felt it acceptable to repeat material like this over and over to different audiences and in different media tells you just how the mainstream media defined what could and could not be said when it came to criticising the two campaigns: McCain/Palin - anything goes; Obama/Biden - almost nothing - and most certainly not discussion of Obama‘s political character.

There seems to be a conspiracy of cultural silence about anything to do with Barack Obama‘s political character and the credibility that should be afforded to it. The mainstream media’s blind eye to the Blagojevich affair is consistent with the blind eye they have shown to any questions over Obama’s political credibility up until now.

An American

Israel,
When you just 'once' write something that is balanced...I'll start taking your comments into consideration.

In my past comments...I've blamed both Dems. and Republicans for the debacle we are in right now. There is just so much power a president has. When he is sworn in, he swears to protect the Constitution and the American people. So much of what you dump on Pres. Bush is out of his control and is the Congress' fault or Governors' faults.

A president has limited powers...it's designed that way so that we will not have a dictator to contend with. He has veto power...but Bush has only used it on several occassions...I wish he had used it more...we might be in a little better shape now.

The reason that Con. Cabbie is so respected is that he can see both sides...although, through common sense, usually comes down on the conservative side.

My take on Barrack Hussein Obama's name is fact...Fact...FACT...is that too hard for you to take?

An American

Saturn,

Great post!

It will be interesting to see how the comics handle Obama.

I've seen nothing on the 'Messiah' except Saturday Night Live and Tonight Shows' very cautious takes... which haven't been the least bit funny.

Chris Rock said that Obama was 'too cool' to make fun of.

Where are these Bush bashing comics going to get their future material?
It's going to get awfully boring listening to old Clinton 'skirt chasing jokes' and Bush 'dumb joke'.

Maybe it's because Obama is more scary than funny.

Obama, himself, can't tell a funny line if his life depends on it. The only one that laughs at his jokes is himself, which is pathetic and a real no-no when telling a joke.

Yes, we're all in for continued brainwashing when it comes to 'The One'.

One bright note...some very large newspapers and NBC are in financial trouble. If they would all fold, it would be best for the future of this country.

Chris S

Ok, ‘An American’, I’ll bite on the issue of Obama’s middle name. You’re correct to say that pointing out that his full name is Barack Hussein Obama is not a racist act. However, while he may be prepared to use it in his inauguration, at no point has Obama styled himself ‘Barack Hussein Obama’. Equally, the same people who insisted on using the full version did not, in the vast majority of cases, refer to his opponent as John Sidney McCain, or his running mate as Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

The only reason some of the more virulent elements of the right-wing media/blogosphere chose/choose to make an issue of Obama’s middle name is that they believe there’s something about it that’s in some way noteworthy. They believe that it counts as a point against him and casts doubt on his suitability to be president. The only noteworthy thing about Obama’s middle name is that it is Islamic. If you – or indeed anyone else – attempts to claim that having an Islamic middle name renders him suspicious/unsuitable in some way, you’re being at best stupid and at worst a bigot.

Acknowledging his middle name is fine. Attempting to use it as a means of smearing his character/background is not.

We Won

An American - Yep GE going bust that's really going to help the Country isn't it. Not

Wingnuts It's a full moon on Friday you can all go and howl at it, no one else is listening.

Ronnie

Thank God we are back live with Obama, British scandals seem so dull by comparison and there is nothing as exhilarating as a polemicist trying to prove she was right all along.

And, An American, what a relief to have you back making those mature and deeply profound political points.

I still can't understand how the wingnuts lost the election last month.

Ronnie

Saturn and An American, to be serious about this for a minute, I think you just have to be patient. The honeymoon will end, just like it always does no matter who the big star is. You just have to wait.

No mattter how subjective and liberal you think the press is, they are a herd. They will turn over time and find a new star to adore.

No-one is listening to you guys at the moment but your time will come again and there will be a new Karl Rove to understand the trend and direct it.

Whether you like it or not, you live in an electoral system that is tidal.

kepha

America is now poised to become one great, coast-to-coast Chicago, complete with a corrupt Democratic (so democratic that even the dead vote; the right way, of course) political machine and servile media.

But, let's wait and see. Maybe something will stick to the Empty Suit-in-Chief who takes office Jan. 20.

Conservative Cabbie

Israel

So this is all down to the Republican smear machine is it? My, your partisan blinders are fully on at the moment aren't they?

Nevermind that a Democratic governor is probably the most corrupt American pol since Clinton or Nixon depending on your take.

Nevermind that William Jefferson had $90,000 hidden away in his fridge.

Nevermind that Charlie Rangel is just one great fraud.

Nevermind that a Democrat was prepared to pay $500,000 to BUY a senate seat.

Nevermind that once again, Obama was either prepared to lie again or was prepared to abandon yet another closest confidant in David Axelrod.

No, there's no such thing as Democratic corruption is there Israel? It's all down to the Republicans again.

Please!!!

Conservative Cabbie

Shaun Harbord

"This is just web paranoia and tittle-tattle"

So we're just ignoring the fact that Blagojevich has been arrested by the FBI, the 76 page affidavit detailing the alleged crimes, the hours and hours of tape on this matter, the fact that a seious journalist like Jake Tapper takes this seriously? No we'll just ignore all that and call it web tittle-tattle.

Michael

How are those straws you're clutching at?

Stop whinging about it and lets hear some of YOUR solutions to the problems of today....

An American

Chris,
What bothers me about this whole name thing is the unmitigated hipocracy.

If Barack Hussein Obama is going to use his whole name when he is sworn in...why was that name not good enough for him while he was running.

What I believe happened is that his handlers were afraid for the Hussein part of his name to be put out before the public. They believed the American public to be ill-informed and bigoted...they were afraid that this would hurt his chances of winning.

Now that he's won...it ok to use the name that he was born with.

I think Obama's handlers are the bigots for not being forthright on the name issue. If there is nothing wrong with having an Islamic middle name... why not use it?

Mark...good point.

Obama did carefully say that 'he' didn't talk to the Gov. about this issue...but not his staff.

BOGDAN OF ENUCHALIA

"This is not Reverend Wright I knew. This is not Tony Rezko I knew. This is not Governor Blagojevich I knew. This is not Axelrod I knew. This is not the Chicago political structure I knew. This is not the Democratic Party I knew. This is not America I knew. Hep, hep, I'm afraid, I no longer know myself..."

Steve, New York, NY

indeed.com

CNN web site "ask Annie"
fortune - 30 best jobs if you're looking for a job hunters on line

Its obvious how little may of you understand about our politics and new President.

I love you Mel but you've got it completely wrong and you're about to have massive egg on your face.

Emanuel went to Blago to check the status of the Obama Senate candidate of choice - Vickie Jarrett.
Blago let Emanuel know what he wanted.

Emanuel immediately advised Jerrett to remove her name from consideration, waited a bit and Jarrett was given a job in the new administration.
And then Emanuel "dropped a dime" on Blago and an investigation that had been spinning around for years, suddenly had direction.
Fitzgerald had Blagojevich arrested in a matter of days BECAUSE of Obama and that's what everyone will find discover in due time.

Those who are trying so hard to tar our new President with this are going to look awfully dumb. His only connection will be how his people turned Blagojevich in.

You must think our new President is as inept and dumb as the departing one was or maybe you just forgot what an intelligent and very politically savvy leader looks like.
Get used to it.
President Obama isn't George W

Israel

Conservative Cabbie:

Cabbie, cabbie, cabbie!! Calm down mate, you're starting to sound a bit like................

ME!!!

;-)

At least your not as bad as An American,but l would like to see where in my post l actually blamed the right wing smear machine (glad to see you acknowledge it exists!!!) for what is going on now in Illinois as l can't seem to see it myself.

As l said in this post earlier, from what l have read from the transcripts Blagojevich (boy, is that name now easy to spell!!) doesn't really have a chance, unless he gets Phil Spector's lawyer.

What l actually wrote on my 1.59pm post was:

"Sart getting used to the republican smear machine being rebuilt from the wreckage of two bad election defeats."

A process that will begin in Febuary 2009, when any link (and there will be, considering that we are talking about two of the top three politicians in Illinois over the last six years) WILL lead to wildly inaccurate statements, over the top hypebole and a dangerously hypeventilating Sean Hannity.

Saturn:

Doug Stanhope is an a**ehole. There are many very funny US comics but he, like Andrew Dice Clay and Dennis Miller, is not one of them.

If you are that upset about what Chris Rock said about John McCain l would advise you to steer clear of a lot of the statements from the bush campaign during the republican primary in South Carolina in 2000. It no longer seem to worry McCain though, as he hired all the people who smeared him back then to try to help him win this year!! I am in no doubt that you had the same level of outrage at all of those at the 2004 republican convention who smeared John Kerry by wearing purple plasters and bandages to mock HIS war wounds and service.

Israel

Cabbie:

Forgot to add, Blagojevich (l LOVE that name!!!) is the most corrupt politician since Randy "Duke" Cunningham (who STILL has convictions to come!!) or Ted "Hulk" Stevens.

When (l should say if, but come on!! Not even Jesus can save this guy!!) he is convicted it will mean that FOUR OUT OF THE LAST EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS WILL HAVE BEEN BEHIND BARS!! That has to be some sort of record!!!

Israel

An American:

"If there is nothing wrong with having an Islamic middle name... why not use it?"

If there is nothing wrong with having an Islamic middle name... why not try to use it to get a respose from ignorant bigots who you have conditioned through years of media exposure to assume anything linked to a Muslim name will be dangerous to them. This means by simple use of a man's middle name you can get the Pavlovian response you want (cries of "Terrorist" at a campaign rally or a woman utterly conviced that a practicing Christian is a secret Muslim) and in effect shift votes to your side in a hope to win an election.

An American

Israel,
Your are in rare form today. That's a compliment..I hope it doesn't encourage you.

Your beloved Obama hasn't been practicing anything since he left Rev. Wright's black power church. Just headin' out to the gym to get some of that tar out of his lungs.
And by the way, a true Christian has to take that final step of commitment of baptism to accept Christ and become a Christian. No one has seen the proof of Obama's baptism, his birth certificate...nor a single sheet of his writings from his undergraduate work at Columbia or his Juris Doctorate at Harvard...this farce just goes on and on.

I happen to think that Dennis Miller is brilliant and really funny unlike your late night companion David Letterman. What a mean, petty, unintelligent little man and... worse of all...he's not funny.

Steve from NY,Ny

Yeah...you have to be a savy politican to navigate your way through Chicago politics.

Being corrupt helps too.

If Michelangelo were here today and painted a 'Political Hell'...it would be of all the Chicago politicans beseeching God and their constiuents with out reached arms to save them from the flickering flames as demons stood by chuckling with pitchforks in hand.

Ahh...it makes my heart feel good to visualize it all.

Gilbert Belwether

"the unmitigated hippocracy"
Government by horses?!

ChrisR

They haven't even taken up office yet, and already a foul stench pervades the air!

Conservative Cabbie

Israel

I'd never heard of Duke Cunningham before, he's a class act. Mind you, I probably agree with him on this quote from wiki where he was "Suggesting that the Democratic House leadership should be “lined up and shot”. I do think though that trying to sell the President-Elect's former senate seat for $1,ooo,ooo trumps both him and Ted Stevens especially when he knew that he was already under investigation.

On a serious note, what does it say about Obama that he endorsed, and served on a campaign committee (those damn committees again) whilst knowing how dodgy Blagojevich was. After all, David Axelrod decided not to support him deciding he didn't have what it takes to be governor. In other words, Axelrod knew how bent Blagojevich was.

"FOUR OUT OF THE LAST EIGHT GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS WILL HAVE BEEN BEHIND BARS!!"

It must be interesting to be a political reporter in Chicago (and possibly profitable too with all those bribes floating around).

Conservative Cabbie

Steve, NY

Do you have any evidence to back up your statement? I haven't found anything that supports what you say.

If what you say is true, why has Rahm Emanuel's office denied providing the tip to the FBI.

Why has Obama lied about not being in contact with Blagojevich when there is a photo of them shaking hands only a week ago after Obama resigned his senate seat.

I don't think this issue is as clear cut for Obama as you are suggesting.

You say Obama isn't inept or dumb. Perhaps not, but why did he support Blagojevich during his two gubernatorial campaigns. Was he too "inept or dumb" to recognise how corrupt Blago was, or did he just not care. If the latter, that wouldn't be the type of change I'd want.

Anthony

israel, you'd be convincing if we had seen any sort of normal mainstream satire on Obama the politician.

You're right that there are often rogue members of the public who go too far, but they tend not to be invited on to the airwaves of major networks such as the BBC. That is the cultural backdrop to all this.

Chris S

An American:

According to AFP, ‘Barack Obama said in an interview with a US newspaper he will follow tradition and be sworn in as US president using his full name’ (my emphasis). It’s disingenuous to claim that Obama is in some way acting unusually by using his middle name during the inauguration. While some have chosen to ignore this tradition (Carter, Reagan), most have not, including the last two presidents. I don’t remember any liberals repeatedly trying to have Bush referred to as George Walker Bush during the 2000 or 2004 campaigns, nor indeed were conservatives intent on branding Clinton as William Jefferson in 92/96. Neither Bush nor Clinton used their middle names while campaigning – why is Obama a hypocrite for taking the same approach?

What Obama’s campaign and just about everyone else objected to was the double-standard used by the nuttier elements of the conservative media/blogosphere – the only reason those people insisted on using ‘Hussein’ wherever possible arose from the political advantage they thought it would give them. Now *that’s* where the real cynicism and dishonesty lies.

If Obama wants to follow tradition on this one – the same tradition followed by FDR, Clinton, Kennedy and others – I really don’t see the problem in that.

Israel

Cabbie:

Great!! It's only been two days and you've aready doubled the size of the bribe that Blagojevich tried to get for the Senate seat!! By Febuary it will be at least at $2 million and change (as my cousin in Florida would say). Cunningham is a class act as the established $2.5 mil in bribes he accepted prove. The man jumped to turn States evidence to reduce his sentence and has taken down a lot of republicans with him, with a lot more to go!!!

Anthony:

You are right, there hasn't been too much mainstream satire of Obama. Maybe the fact that he hasn't really given them too much to work with (and l mean HIM, not Ayres, Rezko or Wright), and is personally an unruffled and pretty bland person in his private life is the problem. I mean, how many humourous things can you say about a man who is still happily married to his first wife, already admitted that he smoked weed (I inhaled, THAT WAS THE POINT) and, well l really can't think of a third, but i'm sure someone will find one!! Cabbie? An America? Anyone who is not a mad woman with SBMS?

Bush, through his speeches and press conferences was a gift that kept on giving to comedy writers but isn't it the job of those in comedy who are on the opposite side of him politically to come up with stuff? Spitting Image was brutal with the conservatives and while they lampooned labour, expecially Kinnock, there is no doubt they were harder on the government of the day.

Glad you and Saturn think BBC6 is a major station on the BBC network. The only reason Saturn "became aware" of it was when due to a new Ofcom ruling and someone l assume sent it too him. I'm surprised that he doesn't listen to the channel himself, if it's so good.

An American:

You REALLY think that Miller is funnier than Letterman? Boy, the comedy train really left you standing on the railway platform didn't it!!! Maybe you should get back to Fox and demand that they bring back that "Half Hour News Hour" show. You know, the one with the canned laugh track that was supposed to be "the right wing answer to The Daily Show" (giving it that endorsement l can't see HOW it failed!!!). If i'm right, Miller had something to do with that, l mean, it's been a long time since he's done anything other than 5 minute spots on "The Factor".

Highlander

You don't rise to the top of the sewer that is Chicago politics, as Obama has, without getting dirty along the way. This is no surprise to those of us who were paying attention to who Obama was and where he came from.

Obama was shocked to learn that Rev. Wright was spewing race-hatred from the pulpit of the church he attended for twenty years, shocked to find that Bill Ayers, a man he knew well and had done business with, was an unrepentent terrorist, and now shocked once again to hear that his good friend and associate, Gov. Blagojevich, who he had personally advised in his 2002 gubenatorial campaign, is thoroughly corrupt.

Having just played a majority of Americans for fools the question is, how much of a fool would Obama have us all believe he is?

An American

Israel,
My good man...Just put it all out there.
What kind of country do you want? I'm interested.

Please don't go into a far-right tirade...we all know you're an expert at that.

Just tell us what you visualize for this country that you say you love.

Tony

St. Barrack, I rather like that title! Tee hee!

Highlander

Good political satire on Obama does exist - though not mainstream. Just check out Iowahawk on the net. It's far superior to anything Leno or Letterman could produce - or should I say, their writers.

israel

An American:

During the Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy called in the French Ambassador to the White House to make his case. The ambassador said "You don't need to show me the pictures your word is good enough." Regaining that kind of respect for the POTUS would be a start.

It would be great if the constituion was followed, not bypassed and described as just another piece of paper, if there didn't have to be a religious litmus test before someone would be deemed worthy to run for president, if it were remembered that there is a division of Church and State, and a rememberence that ALL in the States are equal regardless of colour, creed or sexual orientation. The above would be a nice start, but then i'm just a dreamer (but i'm not the only one)!!

Oh yeah!!! Some actually TASTY low fat frozen yogurt would also be great!!!

Highlander

Israel,

Bush didn't invent anti-americanism. It existed long before him, and will not end with his absence. If you think Obama will make a difference in that - short of abdicating American sovereignty - you are in for a disappointment.

As for the Constitution, your claim of reverence is risible. It is the left that has been relentlessly working for decades to circumvent, even destroy, that document. We are all familiar with Obama's regrets about what he sees as the Constitution's limitations, and his desires to see it bypassed. Further, it is leftist activists in the judiciary who are constantly legislating from the bench - in contravention of the Constitution! The Constitution would not have been possible without our Judeo-Christian heritage and the founders borrowed freely from it in it's creation. They were deeply religious - as are a majority of present day Americans. When the day comes that we lose our relgious heritage - a day you so apparently long for - we will have lost the soul of the Constitution you say you care so much about.

Your quote of John Lennon was added as a whimsical after-thought, but you give every appearance in your comments of adhering to the same nihilistic naivete he made fashionable 40+ years ago. How very sad.

An American

Israel,
Highlander said it better than I could have.
Thanks for taking the time to state where you stand on these issues.
I hope you realize that America is at a cross-road. If we continue down the socialist path...it will be the end of the greatest country ever created on earth. Now, I find that much sadder than finding tasty low fat frozen yogurt.

Conservative Cabbie

Israel

That's my boy!

Focus on an error on my part written at an ungodly hour of the morning rather than than deal with the substance. Why would the Obfuscator-in-Chief, who is so keen to suggest that he represents change in politics, twice endorse Blagojevich as well as effectively (along with Rahm Emanuel) run his campaign for election?

Ronnie

An American, pulling his helmet down to shade his eyes from the relentless pacific sun, stands tall on the smouldering hilltop between John Wayne and Ronald Reagan and softly tells them, 'If we continue down the socialist path...it will be the end of the greatest country ever created on earth'.

God help me!

Its lucky for you, Mr America, that the rest of us accept that we live in crappy countries.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking I'm anti-American, quite the opposite. I am, however, anti-stupid.

An American

Ronnie,
Did I say that other countries were crappy?

Is it now politically incorrect to love your country?

Are you one of those people who believe in world rule? England is certainly going that way with the EU.

I believe that the US has been unique in the history of the world. I won't go into all the details here. I'm sure you would enjoy spending hours tearing them all down.

And many people in countries that we have defended have very conveniently forgotten our sacrifices.

I'm an American patriot and damm proud of it.

Petty, jealous people love to see great people and great countries fail...

And you may be pleased to know that the US is failing.
It's in real trouble right now and I don't see things getting better in the near future with the Annointed One and a socialist Democratic Congress in complete power.

Frankly, I believe they will most likely destroy the US and everything that I and most Americans hold dear.

Then maybe you and people like you will be happy.

Israel

Highlander:

Article number 4 of the Constitution states:

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

By Oath or AFFIRMATION. BUT NO RELIGIOUS TEST SHALL EVER BE REQUIRED.

The Founding Fathers wanted religion kept out due to the uncomfortable reminders to King George (not the one in the White House)for a good reason. What does the 1st Amendment say again? Oh yeah:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

No Law EXPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION.

Yes there were some very religious men back then in the 1800's but why, McCloud do you think that there is a seperation of Church and State? Was that just for fun?

I do like your reworking of the Obama Constitution answer. He was talking about the deficencies of the Civil Rights legislation which before the election was switched by rightwingers in the media and on this blog to "He wants to give all your money away to poor people!! Socialist!!!!". Now YOU are saying that he wants to bypass it!! I can't remember you posting any corrections before November 5th to point this out on this blog. You also got my "whimsical after-thought" wrong McCloud. Lennon and the "Dirty F**king Hippies" you right wingers blame for a lot of things since the 70's were much better than the Nixonian crowd that came after, but you probably disagree. I really was asking for some nice tasting frozen yogurt!!

Cabbie:

I've switched shifts at work. Look at some of the times of my posts for god-forsaken hours. What does Obama's endorsements of Blagojevich show? It shows that, along with his endorsement of Lieberman, some politicans can really pick 'em. Just look at Caribou barbie's endorsements of Young, Stevens and the Alaskan Independence Party!!!

A Brit

Ronnie, how peevish how envious and sadly, how British of you.

An American

Ronnie,
I'm trying to visualize it now.

"An American, pulling her helmet down to shade her green eyes and delicate porcelain skin from the relentless pacific sun, stands tall on the smouldering hilltop between John Wayne and Ronald Reagan and softy whispers....

Hey Ronnie, we should consider writing a book together...

Conservative Cabbie

A source inside the investigation team has apparently told Fox News Chicago that Rahm Emanuel had a number of conversations with Blagojevich's chief of staff John Harris about the senate seat. Apparently these conversations are on tape.

The following questions need to be answered.

1. When presented with Blagojevich's wishlist, did the Obama team tell him to go to hell or did they engage in a negotiation or discussion?

2. Did they inform the authorities, and if not, why not?

Obama can come out of this smelling of roses if it's revealed that he had no truck with Blagojevich's attempt to solicit bribes, and if they reported said attempt to the FBI. Otherwise, this is going to drag on and really damage his first 100 day agenda along with potentially the support of moderates who saw him as something different but may now be thinking 'same ol', same ol'.

Israel

Cabbie:

So now, l suppose, we are back to the days of Ken Starr and leaks to FoxNews via Drudge?

This would be a surprise considering how the ship run by Fitzgerald is usual run very tight and leak free!! We already have one right wing tome gleefully running the old Nixonian headline with a slight change ("What did the President-Elect know, and when did he know it?) as well as stupid statements for republican leaders all in the vain attempt to throw as much sh** as possible to see if some hopefully stick. Whatever answer Obama or a member of his team give on this there will be some other angle used by the right to say that the man who was not even given a speaking role at the Democratic Convention, even though the nominee was the Junior Senator from his own State, was a "best bud" for years.

Ronnie

An American, I'd be happy if you got up off your arse and helped to rebuild your great country after the last 12 years of collapse, rather than relishing its predicted decline as you are doing now.

Yes, I said 'great' and I mean it. I did not say 'greatest' as that expresses the greatest possible complacency. As in, '...the empire on which the sun never sets.' It set.

As for the book, deal. Although I would like to know who your 'she' is.

Ronnie

A Brit, is that it?

Conservative Cabbie

Israel

"Just look at Caribou barbie's endorsements of Young, Stevens and the Alaskan Independence Party!!!"

I'm going to give you an ungodly hour pass on that because that was a very poor attempt at equivalency and somewhat childish to boot with the caribou barbie reference. Higher standard please Israel. The Alaskan Independence Party, come on Israel, that's scraping the barrel.

Just butting in on the religion thing.
"BUT NO RELIGIOUS TEST SHALL EVER BE REQUIRED."

All that say's is that no religious test shall be applied as a qualification for office holding.

"No Law EXPECTING AN ESTABLISHMENT OF RELIGION."

All that says is that there should not be a state religion.

They're simple statements, difficult to misinterpret, so one wonders how you have. How do you discern that no national religion and no religious test for office holders means an absolute ban on any realationship between church and state. How do those passages lead you (I presume) to interpret that school prayer should be banned for example. Of course, you also failed to highlight the money quote, "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Another ungodly hour pass, or does it not fit with your thesis? Banning school prayer is in direct contravention of that part of the clause.

Always enjoy the debate.

Israel

Cabbie:

US schools are State run and as there is a seperation of church and state that is probably the reason why. There is no national religion so why the fallout from republicans when the first Muslim member of congress wanted to be sworn in on the Koran?

The A.I.P may be scrapping the barrel to you, but with all the muck thrown at Obama not having "real American values" a video introduction to a successionist party by the one doing the flinging does bear mentioning more that a few times. I keep forgetting, you are one of the few, like Jon Gaunt who think this woman has the slight possible chance of being a Margret Thatcher. All l think of when l see her is the Mayor of South Park.

Tom Cat

Yes, israel, you just confirm how much comic material there is to work with on Obama. Of all the associates in all the world, Barack Obama just happens to have chosen people like Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. As you do.

You want something about ‘HIM’ - the holy one - well it was Tony Rezko who provided campaign funds for HIM, who set up a mortgage for HIM, it was Jeremiah Wright who provided some much influence one of his sermons ended up being a book title for HIM, and the unrepentant terrorist who had so much in common with HIM he let HIM launch his political career in his house.

According to you it’s ‘ pretty bland stuff‘. Perhaps you’ll tell us, then, how many other US Presidents launched their political careers in the living room of an unrepentant terrorist?

Highlander

Israel: Obama was lamenting the fact that the Constitution specifically stated what the government could not do, rather than listing all those things the government should be responsible for. He was more concerned for the rights of government than the rights of the individual. Let's be honest - that's a socialist talking. If that's what you want Israel, why don't you just say it?

As for the separation of church and state - I'm very much a proponent of it - as the Constitution states. I was making the point that you cannot mistake the influence of religion in it's creation. Something I notice you do not deny. I also note that you chose not to touch upon my assertion of the leftist assault on the Constitution, in your post. Perhaps you were too busy coming up with the McCloud reference. Sorry, wrong clan.

P.S. I didn't realize that I had to post prior to Nov. 5th in order to be relevent. Is that the moderator's rule - or just one of yours?

An American

Ronnie,
What is that old British saying...'I'm as thick as a plank'?

My 'she' is me.

Our country has been in a slow socialist decline since the Democrats took over some 40 years ago under the Johnson administration. The Democrats today are nothing like the Democrats under Kennedy...they are far lefties now. The Republicans did turn things around under Reagan. But, under the Bushs, it again started to disintergrate. Republicans have been guilty of spending our tax monies as fast and recklessly as Democrats. It's more important to them to be part of the 'Old Boys Club' that is known as our Senate than take good care of our country.

Approximately 90% of our Congressmen and women are lawyers...
What do they know about running anything. They just regurgitate hundreds of laws yearly...laws to oversee laws that oversaw past laws...that didn't work.
God help them...what a worthless bunch of morons.

And Ronnie...if you can't be more civil to me in the future...this will be my last blog to you.

Jasmine

Highlander, you're absolutely right.

As Olavo de Carvalho puts it here:

'To weaken the American state abroad and to strengthen it internally are the two pillars of Obama's politics.'

Scroll back in the same piece and we read this. This is how Obama plans to turn the state against the individual:

'The "change" promised by Obama could begin even before his oath of office: inspired by the victory at the presidential election, democratic senators and representatives can't wait to rubber stamp the return of the catastrophic and anti-democratic Fairness Doctrine.

'To this fundamental change, which will give the leftist establishment almost total control of the mass media, Obama intends to add a more complicated one, whose implementation represents an explicit commitment he made with the enragée faction of his militancy, whose support he'll continue to seek unless he wishes to draw against him the most bold and outspoken part of the American nation, and he won't fail to do it, short of being insane.

'I'm referring to the "Civilian National Security Force". Obama has been working on this idea for many years, in the framework of the "Public Allies" non-profit. The goal is, plainly, to arm the radical militancy and transform it, according to the words of the new president himself, into such a powerful and well subsidized force as the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. The resources that will be allocated to this mission have already been calculated by Obamist planners and amount to $500 billion annually.

'Every enlisted volunteer will be paid $1,800 per month, and will be granted scholarships and places at the best universities as well as many other social advantages that, together with the weapons and the military training, will quickly turn those fanatical mobs into a privileged class with a fearful power.'

Read it all here:

http://www.olavodecarvalho.org/english/articles/081118lf_en.html

israel, the BBC is a major national network with national coverage. It’s not some pirate network with a handful of unofficial listeners. Yes, we are perfectly aware that Saturn had just become aware of that Ofcom ruling because that poster told us that.

The argument set out by Saturn was a cultural one, which was illustrated by specific examples. That was just one example showing the extremes people felt they were able to get away with. There were plenty of other things we can all remember, like the suggestion that Sarah Palin was pretending to be the mother of her youngest child because it was in fact her daughter’s. The point was the cultural atmosphere around this election.

The mainstream media, of which the BBC is a bulwark, was handing over airtime to people who had a reputation for going well below the belt. This is what was new and unprecedented.

The fact that you suggest that we have - for the first time in history ever - an unsatirisable politician shows how eerily myopic you are.

Ronnie

An American, the saying is usually, 'You/she/he is as thick as a plank'. Most people tend not to refer to themselves in this way.

I apologise for getting your gender wrong and I'm sorry you are so touchy today. Some of the abuse you've handed out to people in the past led me to believe that you didn't mind the rough and tumble. God knows how I would survive you not blogging to me any more.

You have to excuse me but to a European ear, equating LBJ and those who followed him with socialism is just not serious. The most socialist thing that has happened in the USA in my lifetime is the nationalisation of the banks. And the people who did that are very far from being socialists.

The Democrats may be a little to the left of you, that's easy, but trust me when I tell you that socialist they are not.

Anthony

The Telegraph's Toby Harnden has more on this affair:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2008/12/12/barack_obama_has_to_come_clean_about_rod_blagojevich__and_fast_

An American

Ronnie,
You really don't see the big picture.

Please read Jasmine's latest comment. And log onto de Carvalho's article.

No...its probably not plain old socialism we're now facing in this country...it's Communism.

Obama is planning on destroying any dissension in the media. He is planning on paying armed, brainwashed thugs to keep American citizens cowed and under his control.

He will not take our guns away because he won't be able to but he will try to stop the selling of ammunition...which has an expiration.

If Americans allow this to happen... I would say that Obama will go down as the most evil person in history along with Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, etc.

However, I don't see armed Americans letting this happen. Obama doesn't understand the American soul. I believe if 'The Anointed One' attempts these actions...he'll be looking at a revolution.

And American men won't be the only ones fighting for their country.

Ronnie

Well, An American, I'm watching all this with interest. I'm not going to say anything more, we'll just see what happens and if you are right, then you are right.

Ronnie

In the southern part of Texas, near the town of San Antone,
Like a statue on his Pinto rides a cowboy all alone.
And he sees the cattle grazin' where a century before,
Santa Anna's guns were blazin' and the cannons used to roar.
And his eyes turn sort of misty, and his heart begins to glow,
And he takes his hat off slowly to the men of Alamo.
To the thirteen days of glory at the seige of Alamo.

Israel

Tom Cat:

Okay, now you have provided the subject matters show me where the comics have gone with this. One of the things about satire is the way it lampoons serious subjects that matter. The major thing we've seen about Obama is a cartoon cover of the New Yorker which was, like Alf Garnett, actually lampooning those who believed the fasle roumors about Obama and his wife. Maybe if the right had better comics they would do a better job. Why not think on that for a bit.

Highlander:

Glad you caught the link. There can be only one, luckly in my less than humble opinion (a joke, by the by) it will not be you!!!

Anthony

That's the irony, israel, there was all that material and no-one in the mainstream media seems to have touched it.

Rahm Emanuel is in the thick of all this:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5332897.ece

Don't miss the updates Ms Phillips has added at the top of this post. I've only just noticed them. Just amazing.

Ronnie

An American, I read Carvalho's article. The earth didn't move, its an article. Interesting but I don't see how it show's the way. There are many articles.

Tanya

The New Yorker cover - yes, something like that explains why people were scared off lampooning Obama the way they would other politicians. Because if you do, you’ll be smeared as a racist/extremist - no wonder people kept their traps shut.

Israel

Anthony:

When has observational comedy ever relied on the mainstream media? The simple fact is that the people who would be using the bullets supplied are not and the totally useless right wing comedians are so unfunny as to be painfully aware of their combined lack of talent. I say again, the bullets are there (you have acknowledged that), they are just too poor in their profession to use it too make it funny.

Conservative Cabbie

Israel

No, I don't see her as the next Margeret Thatcher, I see her as a politician who lives what she believes and practices what she preaches. Those are rare qualities in today's politics and that is why I support her.

As for her relation to the AIP, boy are you desperate. Hold the front pages, she says "welcome to Fairbanks"! Is that it Israel, a welcome video that you consider so scandalous? Would someone welcoming the SNP conference to Dundee, equally deserve your condemnation?

BTW, the first item on their platform; "TO EFFECT FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the State of Alaska". What a dastardly bunch of rebels!

Sarah

This one story provides a fascinating insight into the lengths being gone into to cover up after Barack Obama - and completely corroborates the argument that there is a mainstream media cultural cover-up going on at every level to protect St Barack.

First we have the YouTube video of Axelrod saying 'I know he's [Obama’s] talked to the governor’ go missing.

Let’s get this straight, either there is a sole member of staff on the YouTube payroll - with access to take off videos - and that moreover, this person had a constant watch on news events unfolding and, furthermore, they knew that the video of Axelrod was on the YouTube archives and so decided to pull that video as soon as Obama said: 'I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening.'

Or, alternatively, there was more than one person inside YouTube’s administration - and potentially others from outside the organisation directing them what to do - who ordered that this video be hunted down as quickly as possible and taken off the site.

Is it really credible that just one random person working in YouTube saw Obama contradict Axelrod and just said to themselves: “Oh yeah, I know there’s video footage of Axelrod contradicting Obama, I must get that off the website” or was there more than one person involved. If so, we have a conspiracy on our hands.

Then we have another mainstream media channel supporting exactly what Axelrod said about Obama but then deciding that it no longer stood by its story, as Melanie Phillips quotes KHQA TV above:

‘The story housed in our website archive was on the morning of November 5, 2008. It suggested that a meeting was scheduled later that day between President Elect Obama and Illinois Governor Blagojevich. KHQA has no knowledge that any meeting ever took place.’

Excuse me?

What was KHQA’s Carol Sowers thinking of then when she wrote on the day after the election: “That's one of Obama's first priorities today. He's meeting with Governor Rod Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it.”

Is Carol Sowers writing out of thin air? Why would she make up such a thing?

Two mainstream media channels. Two things to say Barack Obama did meet Rod Blagojevich to discuss his senate seat. Two things mysteriously pulled from these websites. And they tell us the mainstream media aren’t aiding and abetting Obama every step of the way.

No wonder comedians are scared to make jokes about the guy. Their bookings on mainstream channels would soon vanish - just like that Axelrod video.

An American

Ronnie,
I've not seen this poem before.
Was the point of it to say that things will get better...comparing Obama to the Mexican invasion?

I hope so... but I'm frankly broken hearted that we Americans let this wonderful country slip through our fingers. The lefties have spent the last 40 years infiltrating our schools, our politics and our society.

Obama is a product of that deception.

We've let our grandchildren down.

An American

Sarah,
I agree with everything you've posted.

Our Big Brother...The Messiah has arrived and is now in the process of controlling all media to his advantage.

How does someone like Obama get such an overblown ego without accomplishing anything in his life on his own merits.

In regard to the Chicago debacle, it seems there isn't anything wrong with Obama trying to influence who he would like to replace him, if it is all on the up and up with no strings/money attached.

So...why is Obama and his staff trying to cover up their involvement? Odd.

Israel, The only liberal comic I watch on occassion is Leno. But he has a real character issue...his comedy is ruthless ..then he invites these same people on to interview and grovels. I've not heard him say a single thing about Obama. But he continues to tear into Bush dumb jokes and Clinton skirt chasing jokes...it's really getting tedious.
Look at what Leno is doing to Conan O'Brian...he is undermining the new Tonight Show...but what would you expect from a character impaired liberal?

Anthony

You have to go well outside the mainstream media to see anyone have a pop at Obama humorously. American Thinker has these picture cartoons, which I loved:

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=343

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=334

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=331

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=370

These next two are the first cartoons I’ve seen with Obama with a tab in his mouth (it is astonishing the MSM won‘t mention him smoking at all, despite that squeaky clean family man image we've all been sold):

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=306

http://www.americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=309

I wonder if someone could write ‘Barack Obama: The Musical‘? Mark Steyn maybe? He’s into musicals. Every time Obama is about to be exposed, a sort of Greek chorus could cry out: “But you and your cronies aren’t going to get away with it this time, you Chicago shyster!” and then in comes the musical refrain from Obama and his flunkeys that will be peppered throughout our saint’s story, his debut smash hit, the one the audience can all join in on, the inane sing-a-long chant of: “Yes, we can.”

Perhaps we could all gatecrash that pathetic MTV "Be the Change Inaugural Ball" on January 20. The mindless Yeswecanners wouldn’t notice they’d be so busy chanting that trash.

Frank P

Bogdan

"the unmitigated hippocracy
Government by horses?!"

Stop nagging! :-)

TOF

Having live my first twenty years in the state of Illinois, I have some familiarity with the masters of corruption who run the place. When asked during the 2008 presidential campaign if I was for Obama, my reply was this: "You never, ever, trust a Chicago politican. Obama is a Chicago politician."

The rest of the world is beginning to get a glimpse of how all of that works.

Tom Cat

This is from the wonderful American Thinker website:

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/12/unanswered_questions_for_obama.html

'Obama has been more than "unwilling" to answer questions. He either flat out lied when he said he was unaware of any contact between his people and the Blagojevich crew about the senate seat or he has staffers going behind his back. That latter is incredible, of course, which makes Obama a liar.'