Friday, June 06, 2008

AIPAC Speeches and the VP Selection

Two items of note from the Obama campaign appeared, both from yesterday. First the announcement of his VP search committee. The three member team consists of Caroline Kennedy, Eric Holder, and Jim Johnson. I thought Obama was all about the elimination of corruption and impropriety. Caroline Kennedy? Obama tosses a bone to the fading Kennedy dynasty and memories of Camelot as head cheerleader Teddy is dying from brain cancer. She's a place holder, a name. Whatever.

Jim Johnson? Former Fannie Mae head poohbah who was in a tenure full of charges of corruption. According to a federal investigation in 2006, Johnson fudged on reporting his compensation. His publicly financed compensation. It was $20 million but he claimed $2 million. Oops. All those pesky zeroes. Also, a trip down memory lane brings the recollection that Johnson also was instrumental in choosing Geraldine Ferraro for Walter Mondale and John Edwards for John Kerry. There's a track record for you.

And number three on the VP selection committee is Eric Holder. Name sound familiar? It should if you remember the terrorization of a little Cuban boy named Elian Gonzalez under the guidance of his pal Janet Reno. And the Marc Rich pardon in the last day of the Clinton administration. And he approved the pardons of two Weather Underground terrorists, you know, the gang William Ayers hung with while bombing Federal buildings and whining that they didn't bomb more.

This is the end of business as usual in Washington, D.C.? This is terrific judgement in those whom surround you? Just more of the same with candidate Obama.

Yesterday Obama and Clinton addressed AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group, proving the point that not all lobbyists are bad, as Obama is silly enough to imply. Or maybe he shouldn't have gone to court the votes of the Jews? McCain was there earlier in the week and was a hit, that was evident. Much applause and standing ovations. Hillary was also very warmly received. Obama's welcome was mediocre, proving that the Jews aren't so certain about his foreign policy proposals.

Joe Lieberman was there for both days of these speakers. Lieberman endorsed John McCain, as he does. McCain thanked him from the podium and acknowledged their long and mutual friendship. Lieberman said of Obama, "I would say respectfully that I thought in this speech that there was a disconnect between things Senator Obama said today in particularly with regards to Iran and things that he has said or done earlier either in the campaign and senate. To be specific, I was troubled earlier in the year during the campaign season when Senator Obama referred to, I guess compared Iran and other rogue and terrorists states to the Soviet Union and minimized the threat represented by Iran. I think that is wrong." True enough, Joe.

Then he criticized Obama's vote against an amendment Lieberman and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) brought to a vote designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist group and was passed by a super majority of the Senate. Obama voted against it. Hillary voted for it. McCain voted for it. The bill, Obama said, included language that linked the war in Iraq to Iran and that "troubled him." Well, it troubles our soldiers and their families that it is a proven fact that the war in Iraq is linked directly back to Iran, what with them providing weapons and bombs to insurgents and all.

Obama didn't like that Lieberman spoke truth to power and confronted Lieberman on the floor of the Senate. After greeting each other on the Senate floor, according to Jake Tapper of ABC News, Obama kept hold of Lieberman's hand and led him across the floor to a corner of the Democratic side. Strong words were exchanged for Lieberman's remarks, which had been delivered via a conference call to AIPAC. The discussion, "intense", continued for about five minutes. Reporters remarked that with Obama so much taller than Lieberman, he towered over Lieberman with a look of aggression, Lieberman literally up against a wall.

There's the old south side of Chicago community organizer for you. Not too tactful to do that on the floor, he should have taken it to the Cloak Room or an office. I thought he was all about a higher tone in the campaign.

Later, it was reported that creepy voiced Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid got in on the action himself. "I've had conversations with Lieberman at some length. I'm not going to discuss the conversations here. But I think the discussions he had with Obama yesterday and the discussions he had with me yesterday were fruitful. We'll let the future decide what it's going to be , but I'm not about to threaten anybody." What a foolish man.

Lieberman should tell Obama and Reid that he's decided to caucus with the Republicans now and then Reid's majority by a breath is gone. Who'd be smiling then?

5 comments:

Z said...

Karen, what info! I hadn't heard about all of this, thanks so much.
It makes me SO mad..Obama leads Lieberman safely back to his woodshed and smacks him around like that?
And then Reid treats Lieberman, too, like some kind of kid who needs to be TALKED TO to make sure he wakes up to THEIR truth?
Great liberal mind again....they can have NO 'unity' unless it's everybody feeling like they do.
And we idiot Conservatives reach across the table like Bush has tried and even McCain does....for peace and unity, as if it's EVER worked?

I must admit (gag) Clinton at least caved to Republican brains from time to time and made decisions informed by US.....BILL, not Hillary.

what a shocking display of disdain for any other thinking than their own. I'm sure Lieberman didn't cave.............unless there's some political thing we don't know about (or personal)..you never know.

Z said...

Just heard a soundbyte from Obama from AIPAC that I'd missed..OH, MAN, is he SOO gooooooooooood.

slimey "there's an email going around about some guy and Israel and I'm sure most of you've seen it. Let me know if you see a guy named Barack, he sounds scary" (or something like that..I didn't get the exact quote)

Then he says "I'm here to tell you how I really feel about ISrael...." blahblah

In other words, they have heard the rumors, that guy is SCARY but I am NOT that guy.

And he looks so innocent..doesn't he?

And they think "Ya, THAT's not like THIS guy! THIS guy LOVES us!" choke.

sorry to hog your comments page!!!

Paul is a Hermit said...

The Obamas expect a coronation and people like, Sen Lieberman, had better learn his place. The voters had better learn theirs.

The only thing Bush and McCain have got for reaching across the aisle is fingers missing. We've seen Pelosi and Reid's attempts mean, just do as we say.
Obama means to have his way too, all the time. Just don't let facts, pesky things, get in the way of adoration.

The best part so far, is how supporters immediately try to point to others, as if that absolves their guy. Distract, if you can't disprove.

Nikki said...

Great write up Karen. I read about the Eric Holder thing on Dick Morris. I can't decide if its arrogance or inexperience that lean towards arrogance. He also has a band of people IMO behind the scenes controlling him. He seems to have been picked a while ago to run and then raised by the money backers to follow suit. :)N

Z said...

nikki..I think Obama has a bigger machine behind him than we've seen in a long time; or at least a more 'silent' partner type. HUGE. And it looks like it's all DIRTY.
Rezko,WRight, Ayers.......Did you hear him once say "My people wouldn't let me get to Hawaii"? I know they all have 'people', handlers, but candidates don't seem to like revealing that those people make the calls.....THIS guy doesn't care. OR, they're so big and so controlling, it was a slip?

I think you're right. There's a video floating around of talk at the JFK School of whatever it is...2005. THey talk about his book "the best book by a politican every written" (WHAT?).."not only in politics but a wonderful writer.." And,he talks about running in 2008!
He's had Kennedys behind him probably longer than we realize, too.
The whole thing is scary. Soros, too? Why not? Mr. Hate America would LOVE a guy who has disdain for more than half of it, right?