Monday, May 19, 2008

BARACK OBAMA

Barack Complains About GOP Using 'Snippets' of Michelle

On the heels of the Jamie Rubin brouhaha, for Obama to start complaining about "snippets" again is really rich.

"But I do want to say this to the GOP. 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," he said.

Obama praised his wife's patriotism and said that for Republicans "to try to distort or to play snippets of her remarks in ways that are unflattering to her I think is just low class ... and especially for people who purport to be promoters of family values, who claim that they are protectors of the values and ideals and the decency of the American people to start attacking my wife in a political campaign I think is detestable."

Okay, Senator. Show me the context that makes these statements seem not so bad:

"For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."

Later in the same day: "For the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change."

(Responding to the Rubin mess, a liberal recently said within earshot, "I didn't see people calling for the full transcript when it came to Jeremiah Wright." Yes, of course, because calling Italians "garlic noses" really doesn't sound so bad once you read it in context.)

I would just note that the last time Barack Obama insisted that his critics were misjudging a person because they jumped to conclusions based on "snippets," and Obama insisted that he knew that person better because of a long and close relationship... well, that individual managed to demonstrate that Obama's judgment was faulty before a national television audience relatively quickly.

05/19 10:29 AMShare