May 19, 2008
A Fine Whine
Barack Obama has made clear today that he is running an affirmative action Presidential campaign, demanding preferential treatment from both the Republican Party and the news media as the freshman Senator runs for the White House.
The preferential treatment comes in the form of a unique entitlement: he wants his wife Michelle Obama to be able to campaign for him for president, but wants her held blameless for any controversial or newsworthy comment she makes.
Democrat Barack Obama has a message for Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife."Obama, his party's presidential front-runner, and his wife, Michelle, were asked in an interview aired Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America" about an online video last week by the state's GOP taking her to task for a comment some considered unpatriotic.
"The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record," Obama said. "If they think that they're going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable, the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family."
I'm sure—absolutely positive—that Hillary Clinton would have liked to have had the same standard applied to husband, former President Bill Clinton. His outbursts during his months on the campaign trial have done as much to hurt as help her, but she understands that when you put you spouse on the stage, you make that spouse fair game for criticism when they say or do something newsworthy.
Barack Obama wants soft and special rules, just for his campaign. I'm sorry, Barack, but it doesn't work that way. You won't get special treatment as President when you deal with the rest of the world, and you don't get special treatment campaigning for the job.
Man up, or drop out.
You are absolutely spot on. Hillary could be all over this if she so chooses.
The question is really whether she wants to keep knocking him down to improve her chances in four years?
Posted by: ThomasD at May 19, 2008 10:48 AM"You are absolutely spot on. Hillary could be all over this if she so chooses.
The question is really whether she wants to keep knocking him down to improve her chances in four years?"
The fact that she's not beating him over the head with this leads me to believe that she's already triangulating on the veep slot. Momentum is on her side, but the math appears insurmountable at this point...
It's about acountability, Barack. Includes your wife, too.
Like the man said, Man up or drop out.
After all, no one wants to do anything to scuttle the nice lady's new-found pride in our country.
Posted by: tsmonk at May 19, 2008 01:35 PMI understand a man wanting to protect his family. But if you are worried about them making themselves look stupid, keep them out of the public eye.
Idiotic, simply idiotic.
Posted by: Eric at May 19, 2008 02:30 PMWell....that is something....
Obama has made me give a kudo to Bill Clinton.
This made me remember how he responded to press prompting him about Hillary and the criticism she got during his campaign and early in his first tenure --- this was back at the time.
He might have said other things elsewhere, but the one that came to mind today was when he said she took flack like Elanore Roosevelt and for many of the same reasons.
I didn't think much of the comment at the time - one way or another.
Now, I can say, "At least Clinton didn't try to say criticism of Hillary was dastardly conduct after having her take such a prominent role."
Posted by: usinkorea at May 19, 2008 04:37 PM"The fact that she's not beating him over the head with this leads me to believe that she's already triangulating on the veep slot. Momentum is on her side, but the math appears insurmountable at this point..."
Well - here 'tis:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CLINTON_OBAMA?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
That was quicker than I tho't...
Posted by: Diogenes at May 19, 2008 09:13 PMHussein O can't possibly 'man up'. There would have to be a man present for that to happen.
Posted by: Scrapiron at May 19, 2008 11:12 PMI seem to remember some adverse press on Cindy McCain for plagiarizing, um, recipes. Cindy, like Laura, is about as far from a political player as it is possible for a PrezSpouse to be. That has not insulated her. Give Barry a little break though. I'm sure he's just saying what she told him to say.
Posted by: megapotamus at May 20, 2008 10:32 AMDemocrat Barack Obama has a message for Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife."
Tennessee Republican Party has a message for Barack Obama: "Go SUCK WIND! You take her OFF the political stage and THEN we'll lay off her...but if she's going to campaign for you, then she has to take the good with the bad...as do YOU!"
Posted by: chiefpayne at May 20, 2008 11:14 AM
