Obama-come-lately on Iran; O’s obligatory press conference

At around 12:30pm Eastern, Barack Obama will put down his ice cream cone and boldly condemn repression in Iran.
Why now?
Andrew Malcolm explains the timing:
You don’t need to be a basketball-loving president of the United States to know that if you’re trying to block opponents’ shots in your end, you sure aren’t increasing your own totals. You can’t score points on D.
So Obama’s news conference this morning Pacific time is his bid to steal the ball from his opponents and scoot down the court for his own layup. It’s a classic political reset of the play clock. At 9:30 a.m. Pacific (12:30 p.m. Eastern, 4:30 p.m. GMT), Obama will make a statement in the White House Rose Garden and then take questions.
Obama has lost some mojo in recent days on this month’s pressing issues, especially Iran’s ongoing protests and healthcare reform. Obama’s printed Saturday statement about Iran on his way out the White House door for ice cream with his daughters was insufficient media competition for the appallingly graphic video of the young woman Neda dying on a Tehran street. Some called the presidential statement ineffective and “mealy-mouthed.”
On Father’s Day, while the president played golf out of camera-sight, others were on TV declaring the U.S. must say more to support the unarmed protesters in Iran.
…Sen. John McCain’s angry Senate Neda speech Monday, also reported and analyzed here with a video, dramatically changed that equation, forcing Obama to talk today more powerfully about the power of talk.
It was just last month that Obama was forced to scramble in response to another Republican, Dick Cheney, to organize dueling speeches on homeland security.
Obama-come-lately strikes again.
“Leadership.”
***
But, of course, Obama’s Cairo speech inspired the freedom activists in Iran that he is only now speaking out for, you know.
***
Update: Obama’s press statement this afternoon was rather unemotional and obligatory-sounding. Included an odd set-up question with Huffington Post writer Nico Pitney, who has covered Iranian election extensively. Obama anticipated his question and basically telegraphed what Pitney would ask — a question solicited from Iranians communicating across the Internet.
Major Garrett at Fox News asks the obvious question: “What took you so long?”
Obama blathers.
Garrett asks if invitation to Iran to meet on July 4 is still on.
“That’s up to Iran.”
Translation: Invitation — and “path” to engagement — still open.
***
Question: Were you influenced by McCain/Graham speaking strongly on Iran?
Obama snarks: What do you think?
Reporters laugh.
Are you laughing?
***
Chuck Todd: What about consequences for Iranian repression?
O refers to Neda again: A young woman getting shot on the street as she’s getting out of her car is a “problem.”
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I think the bill-of-fare for the 4th of July bab-e-kube ought to be hot German potato salad with lots of bacon, and pulled pork.
Sangria to drink.
Served by girls in bikinis.
It’s amazing how things can change in a few short days!
The move by some to credit Obama with the democratic uprising in Iran is simply pathetic. Like I said yesterday, the Iranian students and youth owe nothing to Obama, so, sorry, Mr. President, you don’t get to have any credit for this one. Especially after all the pains you took to stay neutral.
A fantastic comparison of his use of rhetoric to fit the mood and only days apart from each other. Well done, Papa Louie.
Which direction is the wind blowing today?
I was wondering the same thing. I’ve been a little busy lately. Anybody care to enlighten us?
then 10 minutes later, Iran accuses him of meddling.
WAKE UP obama, they will use you.
So make a strong stand for human rights and FREEDOMs, you can not go wrong.
Good grief I can’t stand this wimpy alinskyite speaking for us.
I don’t think anyone was. It was general griping at the excessive leeway that the trolls are given in comparison to Blind Mule.
You know those soccer players with the green wristbands?
“the country’s authorities have taken revenge by imposing life bans on players who sported green wristbands in a recent World Cup match ”
This reminds me of Tommy Smith & John Carlos giving the “black power” sign at the 68 Olympics – do you remember how you people and your parents reacted?
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT3.jpg
Great comparison. My theory for why the change? Very simple. Obama’s image of himself does not fit the reality of what he is. When action is required to back up the lofty rhetoric, Obama is MIA. He does not have the courage of his convictions.
And your point is…..?
That’s quite a strawman there, but we’ll take your reference as approval of the Iranian soccer players protest.
In that light, that means you agree with the “you people” you so despise.
Hey “Salt” looks like you got me.
The irony is awesome – you people have always fought against the American Civil Rights Movement and now you fight against the first biracial President – but you claim to support Iranian civil rights.
How funny is that?
They never worked again? Oh no, wait, one played for the Bengals, and the other played for the Eagles after equaling the world record in the 100 the next year? One became a Professor and the other a high school coach? Those guys?
BTW Mr. POTUS – Where’s the birth Certificate?
Please tell me we don’t have to go into the whole “who was REALLY for civil rights” thing again.
Once you’ve been proven wrong, is it stupidity or insanity that forces you to make the exact same point over and over again?
Yep, I remember it well. Let me frame the context for you, since you are clearly clueless.
1968 was a year of great turbulence in the US. It was a period of outlawry (I was one of the outlaws) in the guise of rebellion.
Black Power was associated with Black Nationalism…a distinctly racist notion that taught that the races in the US could not live together. Several were Black Supremacists.
I rejected that notion at the time, and I do now.
ILMC is just a kid! Everyone, excuse his
ignorancebehavior. Kids will be kids and you know how annoying they can be sometimes!I was -2 years old and my perants lived in New Zealand at the time sooooooo,…..
Rags, you are giving wwwayyyy toooo much credibility to ILMC.. For those of us who actually lived through those times, trying to explain the experience of the 60s to someone so young is fruitless…
I don’t ever find an outright lie amusing.
You have no idea who we are, but your unearned conceit and elitist condescension are disgusting.
I was there, honey. I could teach you a lot about respecting people.
Listen up, IHMC #111. The Republicans got the Civil rights Act passed into law, you dumbbell! The Democrats opposed it all along the way. You need to get a brain and read up on how the Democrats have used minorities, particulary black Amercians to get themselves elected. Their own record clearly shows they don’t give a hoot about ANY minority. You are just sooo damn oblivious to this history, as are all liberals.
This of course is a complete lie. Typical of an obama supporter to use lies to slander people are not worshiping at the feet of your tin god.
Well, it would depend on their ability to learn.
With this one, not so much…
Pearls before swine, and all…
You seem to love to use the “you people” generality to rail against. You’re tilting at windmills, Quixote.
It must be fun to have such a limited view that anyone that disagrees with you becomes the bogeyman “you people”.
You know nothing about me or my views on civil rights. Why not stay on topic (if you can)?
How do you figure? I recognize him as the President. Does that mean I must always agree with him?
The difference between you and me is that you feel the need to continuously underscore the color of his skin while claiming that everyone else is racially motivated.
Your whole argument is about race. It has nothing to do with the Iranian protests or President Obama’s comments today. It is a strawman and a poorly constructed one at that.
About as funny as a President that offers no real support to those same Iranian protesters for fear of what Ahmadinejad might do or appearing to support the opposition party.
Hysterical. /sar
ILMC – we know how you kids can be…
I assure you “we people” would oppose this liberal insanity with equal vigor if the president was Al Gore or (shudder) Hillary Clinton. Liberal ideas are almost always naive, foolish and harmful irrespective of race, gender, nationality… of their proponents.
It wasn’t ice cream. Obama and his daughters went out for frozen custard.
As a proud Wisconsinite, it bothers me to no end when people get the two confused!
So let me see if I understand the context of this conversation – you people had the choice of voting for a man who was singing about bombing Iran or Obama.
You all chose the “singer” – what makes any of you think you have any credibility on this issue?
Ilovemycountry said: I don’t know when people are joking arround and when they are making policy statements.
SIGHHHH…..
obama won, not McCain. What difference does a song sung in jest make at all???
actually you people, and your party, is the party of slavery, the KKK and racism…
Ahh… there’s sonofdy to the rescue – what would you think if Obama “joked” about killing white people?
Would you say it was in jest?
and you people are the ones that have no problem cutting a hole in a babie’s head and sucking out the brains…
and bombing iran is the right thing to do…just like getting rid of saddam was…but YOU PEOPLE always support murderous tyrants…
Pleople make all sorts of jokes. You know, like spending 1 trillion dollars we don’t have will reduce the defict.
You failed and in the process attempted yet another strawman argument. Can you stick to the actual topic at hand or can’t you?
Certainly more credibility than someone that believes that setting up an example which has absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand makes him more credible.
He’s biracial??
What obama esentualy said today was, “please don’t shoot your own people in the streets, but if you do, thats cool, we will still hang out with you.”
…and yet isn’t it odd that most of your members are one color and predominately one gender?
You guys need to get the word out on this strange misconception. That will be a bit difficult when your members are busy sending out “black people” joke emails though.
He’ll certainly underscore that if he entertains the Iranian government during the celebration of our independence from a tyrant.
Techincaly tri-racial because doesn’t he have some arab blood in there somewhere???
We have to make sure all the racial victimhoods are acknoledged.
do you think 90%+ of black people voting for a black person are racist?
predominantly one gender? where do you get that at??
but then black people have voted democratic since the 1930s…even in the south…go figure…
Moonshot, aren’t you just a LITTLE tired of of the PC police telling you what you can and can’t say think and write??
I see that you agree with Ann Coulter then, moonshot?
sonofdy–I think you mean ‘try’ racial. Haha–that explains how the Dems ran his campaign…
Excellent Point Spacey… LMAO
A young woman dies in Iran as the government seeks to disrupt protests of a corrupt election through force.
Obama offers no real support to the protesters in order to stay politically neutral but offers some vague non-answer about the legitimacy of the government being up to the people of Iran. The irony that this is precisely why large masses of people had the courage to protest in a country in which they knew their lives would be threatened for doing so is lost.
…yet radicals still show up here to remind us all that President Obama is (gasp) biracial.
They make a parody of themselves.
Salt, you certainly poured enough of your namesake on IHateMyself to “salt him away!”
Too bad he won’t stay that way!
hotshot: I guess you can see each of us sitting at our keyboards and know beyond a shadow of a doubt we are mostly one color and mostly one gender.
I will be the first to admit we ARE mostly one color, and that would be color-blind.
Further, we are mostly one gender, and that would be heterosexual.
Be gone you troll.
Hangfire, no problem , i just didn’t know exactly how you meant your post, wasn’t criticizing it, only clarifying from my point of view.
Hark, there go all the people. I must hurry and catch up, for I am their leader, as Obama says.
Misscheryl, I agree, care to say where it’s coming from, I have my own ideas on that…as in the blacks are becoming more out spoken and acting in more racist ways…shortly after the major of racism has been reduced to a minimum with the exceptions of the race baiters Jackson, Sharpton, Wright and of course the vast majority of libs who as you know need victims to survive.
I just put together a new logo for Obama’s fence sitting policy:
http://thelcabroadside.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/department-of-fence-concerning-iran/
I’m thinking you are correct. I think some black people seem to feel they now have liscense to be racist. Pre-Obama, the same would have been passive agressive, now many are openly racists. 90% of blacks voted for Obama and that is racist any way you slice it.
one more note..when Obama fails, and fails miserably he will go down as the first black president and typically couldn’t do anything right and he will take those who supported him with him. It will be a very long time before another black person is elected president. Too bad because there are many worthy of the office, just not this putz.
The two faced eagle with question marks is priceless. Good job!
6:22 pm, Misscheryl, I thought of that about 5 months ago, the damage this clown is doing to all the hard working, dedicated to America, black people that are going to have a very difficult time reaching the WH for years to come. This fraud stuck a knife in the back’s of these patriotic Americans.
http://thelcabroadside.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/department-of-fence-concerning-iran/
Great work, that!!!
I’d suggest Department Of The Fence, however.
Wish I had your artistic talent.
Guys, I need to put out the word again.
I really need some people to carry STARVE THE BEAST stickers and fliers to TEA Party venues around the nation.
I have some very kind volunteers, but I need more. I’m not asking for you to advocate, just to get them there.
Anyone willing to help, or who can put me directly in touch with a TEA Party organization.
starvethebeast1.gmail.com
I am going dark here tomorrow so I can get things done. Ya’ll play nice. I’ll miss this for a while…
Except when you slice it this way:
African-Americans are one of the most loyal voting constituencies for Democrats.
These guys can probably help you out. They’re doing a TEA PARTY Conference it seems.
http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=612071
You can probably contact the nice looking gentleman with the cat.
moonshot said:
You have more in common than I. Phoc you, by the way.
That was pathetic and dispicable.
huggybear – I’m not about to argue percentages with you and the fact that racisim among blacks in this country is on the rise isn’t up for discussion. It is what it is. It is also unfortunate that the black community doesn’t quite “get it” that the dems aren’t helping them. Another point, Obama is using his own people for his own gain – I despise this man. He is creating a huge division in this country and it simmers just below the surface.
zero the open sore attempting to take credit for what is occuring in Iran, would be akin to his taking credit for the theory of relativity.
as for zero coming out with his supposed strong words, something he’s been avoiding, because doing so would mean he has to accept responsibility for what he says. responsibility is something zero has been avoiding like the plague, since he has made it fashionable to blame others for everything under the sun. responsibility, courage, accountability, leadership, just a few words the human scab has never heard of or put into practice..
David Axelrod, Obama’s senior adviser, said the president’s aides have never had a conversation about balancing the role of commander in chief with domestic-policy priorities:
this is funny, especially the CinC title, zero is no more CinC material than his dog is. as for the rest of his so called domestic policy priorities, considering the mess he’s making of things it would seem he is lacking there as well.
odumbo gets 90% of the black vote, he gets 78% of the Jewish vote, these people must be masochists…that’s a very consistent percentage received by the dems of the last 76 years. Now what was it exactly the dems have ever done for either group, besides use them as victims to garner votes, then forget them till the next election.
Anybody-But-This-Jack@ss-For-President!
PLEASE!!!
… for crying out loud! Hillary would have been better than this terrorists’ wet dream!
Moonbutt, should any of us be wondering why you’re prowling around on a white supremecist website?
Are you going to use the excuse that you’re trying to keep tabs on the opposition?
Or are you showing us what a dillhole you really are?
BTW, a former poster that was really an okay person was banned for an inapropriate link with a racial component, similar to yours.
Just sayin’.
Moonbutt, another BTW, he wasn’t prowling on such a website. He was making a point about yet another left-leaning poster.
I’ll ask this way: What’s your excuse for swimming sround in that slime?
Then perhaps Obama should not have set up the United States as the fall guy by going on his world apology tour. Words have consequences President Obama.
Indeed. I have visions that my children and grandchildren and their peers will be going on another apology tour, this time in the free Republic of Iran. They’ll be apologising for the lack of support that Obama gave them in the fight for freedom. I hope I’m alive to see this, and more important that Obama can see what he has wrought.
This is a test for liberty and freedom. Did you think that Americans, all Americans, were civil enough to let this country grow on its own. I believe the races were actually coming together before Obama’s election. I now fear a larger racial component even though we say and wish not. We the people are kinda at fault for all of this for being fat, dumb and happy. To complacent to observe things going on right in our backyards. A movement, large enough to spawn the likes of Americorps and ACORN, to name a few. What movement did the conservatives do to change the politcal sphere during this time?. Nothing. Lawn chair patriotism seems was not enough. I for one am tired of both parties, and want to see a third or fourth. The laws in this country are crumbling, especially voting and election laws and they are the real core of what we are. I do believe we need a watchdog on these so contact your senators and reps. I also believe anchary is ripe. Police aren’t doing their jobs( i know one) or overdoing their jobs. When did you last see someone driving the speedlimit? Its already turning into a survialist mode. We need to get a grasp and get organized into community groups or something like it, to connect with the people. We need to start calling a spade a spade when the shoe fits without saying I am sorry or backing down. This PC crap is destroying the country. If your skin is that thin you need to see a psychiatrist. We need to get involved with our future.
By way of elucidation, the Greek root for “seal” is phoc
I would simply hate it if moonbat misunderstood…
When is the last time you talked to your neighbors?
he he, isn’t that what moonbutt seems to do every time she makes an appearance?
To pilfer from Napolitano, The Obamessiah is the man caused American (and maybe even the world) Disaster happening before our very eyes. He is so clueless!
An out of wedlock child born to a hippie welfare queen and a philandering dad.
No academic records indicating the superior scholastic achievement up until joining Harvard Law (most likely a beneficiary of Affirmative Action).
More than decade long associations with low-life scumbags Ayers and Wright.
A product of Chicago thug politics with charming personality and great teleprompter reading skills.
Almost two years on campaign trail with all the liabilities for anyone to find.
Still this guy gets elected the President of United States.
I don’t know who is stupider:
Voting public blinded by hatred of Bush.
Or
The media because they wanted to see (and create) a historic first of an African American elected to the presidency.
Just jumping in, haven’t yet read all the comments on this thread, so apologies if this is already addressed.
BUT, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps the q about Iran “diplomats” being invited to party with the US on the 4th of July should have been reworded, a la: “Shouldn’t some of the ‘freedom fighters’ from Iran be invited to our 4th of July celebration instead of those who repress them?”
Makes my blood boil!!
Not to mention entirely offensive.
That’s an interesting rhetorical question by Obowma, because that reply is a dodge, regardless of what he implied with it. The fact is, as with Bill Clinton’s dodges and flat-out prevarications, we will NEVER hear an honest truthful statement by this man, unless you hear it from a recording of him speaking to his America-hating, socialist-fanatical base.
On June 23rd, 2009 at 4:04 pm, Ilovemycountry said:
Your first statement about “American Civil Rights” is a historical fallacy, not that you’d know anything about actual history. There have been numerous Civil Rights Acts since 1866, and a majority were solidly opposed by the Democratic Party. The fact of the matter is that Democrats (James Byrd and Albert Gore, Sr. in particular) attempted to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you want to read a bit about your party’s racist roots, check THIS out.
Regarding your assertion that our opposition to Obama (“the first biracial president”) is racially motivated. That is like saying that Thomas Sowell’s and Walter Williams’ opposition to Bill Clinton’s health care takeover was racially motivated. If a Black person is able to oppose a White man’s policies, but Whites cannot do the same regarding a Black man’s, then that is a politically-motivated idea, not a moral or rational one. It is the thought-process of a fanatic, not a patriot.
If we cannot oppose someone’s political schemes because of his SKIN COLOR and familiar racial and cultural origins, you are arguing on the side of tyranny against free speech. Your position is also utterly irrational, since it condemns ALL opposition to political leaders of African decent, whether they be liberal American or those who propagate the massacre in Darfur.