POST HOC CRITICISM OF OBAMA TRIP JUSTIFIED
I rushed a piece up at PJ Media after hearing the news about Chicago not getting the 2016 summer games.
A sample:
He placed the prestige of his presidency directly on the line and failed. That’s the bottom line. He gambled with the one thing no president should ever gamble with unless the stakes are much higher than his hometown getting the Olympic games.
What stakes would have justified such a gamble? Jimmy Carter gambled that he could bring Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin to Camp David and hash out a peace deal. The odds were against it. It was a huge gamble and Carter, to his credit, worked tirelessly, shuffling back and forth between the two antagonists’ cabins (they refused to meet in the same room), never letting up until he had a deal.
Ronald Reagan’s gamble in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he sought to make huge cuts in nuclear weapons while meeting with Gorbachev, did not turn out as well. When Gorbachev rejected the plan because Reagan would not give up SDI, the Gipper was rightly criticized for it.
Presidential visits are staged down to the last detail. If a treaty is to be signed, experts work for weeks prior to the president’s trip to make sure there are no last-minute hitches. Nothing is left to chance.
With Obama’s visit to Copenhagen, everything was left to chance. We didn’t know that at the time he announced it, however. There were many observers who believed the president wouldn’t make the trip unless he had been given private assurances that his presence would put Chicago over the top.
I point this out later:
There is no doubt that the criticism for this serious mistake in judgment will eventually die down. But the effect is cumulative. The president’s inability to bring health care reform to some kind of a denouement was already dragging his presidency down, along with his popularity and that of his party. The unemployment numbers out today are horrible, with jobs still being sloughed off by companies much faster than the total being created. One of the president’s biggest supporters, former Treasury Secretary Robert Reich, reminds us that for every job lost, another unemployed worker gives up looking.
The president took all of 25 minutes to meet with Afghanistan commander, General McChrystal, to discuss a situation that is deteriorating by the week. This is incomprehensible given the seriousness of the situation and McChrystal’s dissatisfaction with the administration’s dithering over how to prosecute the war.
Partisanship aside, I think it’s time to start worrying about this fellow. It’s hard to coldly analyze a president that you see as an opponent but I am also something of a student of history. This man was unprepared for the presidency - moreso than anyone before him. He had also failed to demonstrate any leadership skills prior to being elected. Perhaps then, it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that he either doesn’t know how to lead or is incapable of doing so. His own party is wondering about him. We’ve got very little coming from the White House in terms of substance - it’s all glitz and glitter with Obama campaigning for his agenda rather than doing the hard, slogging scut work of actually getting in the trenches and leading the troops toward the goals he sets.
I agree it is a hard thing to gauge how well a president is leading. But even his biggest boosters have to admit not much is getting accomplished. This despite a huge advantage in numbers in Congress. If you can judge a president’s effectiveness by what he is accomplishing, so far - and it is still relatively early in his presidency - Obama is failing to measure up.
I am not one that hopes Obama suffers a failed presidency. I do not wish him well in passing much of his agenda but that should not be taken to mean I want him broken. The world is too dangerous to wish for something like that and Obama must have at least a minimum of credibility or the credibility of America suffers too.
He can probably turn it around with a victory on health care reform - something I am not rooting for unless substantial changes are made to whatever bill is finally written. But a defeat there would really make it hard for the president to regain any momentum. And the likelihood of a GOP comeback would grow substantially.
“POST HOC CRITICISM OF OBAMA TRIP JUSTIFIED”
It may well be, but some of us who ‘knee-jerked’ thought it was a bad idea from the get-go can pat ourselves on the back for being right. If I was Obama’s advisor I would have said it was a bad idea to do this. Wasting Presidential time, effort and prestige and still losing on the first round proves that it was a bad idea.
What’s also bad for him politically is a precedent has been set. He jets off, he makes a speech, everyone sounds impressed … and it does absolutely NOTHING to change minds. If he continues to be foolishly and arrogantly enamored of his own ability to move diplomatic mountains with personal appeals, we as Americans will continue to be beset by setbacks in foreign policy, while our enemies get emboldened.
Comment by Freedoms Truth — 10/2/2009 @ 1:16 pm
“It’s hard to coldly analyze a president that you see as an opponent but I am also something of a student of history.”
As a student of history, I keep have Carter flashbacks. Obama has the weakest and most feckless and naive foreign policy since Carter.
As you note with Carter, Sadat and Begin, at least Carter put his neck out for something consequential back then. Obama hasn’t yet risen even to that level. Just retreat and vacillation on several fronts.
Comment by Freedoms Truth — 10/2/2009 @ 1:20 pm
At least he met with Gen. McKrystal while he was there. The IOC actually made a stupid decision giving the Games to an even more lawless and violent city Rio! But oh those beaches!
Comment by Gayle Miller — 10/2/2009 @ 1:23 pm
I just don’ see how the GOP celebrating a loss of prestige as a long term winner. We can add this the the rooting for GM to close shop and for the banks to fail as more along the lines as putting Obama’s defeat ahead of any benefit to the citizenry.
At least the man tried.
Comment by Richard bottoms — 10/2/2009 @ 1:51 pm
[...] wait, he’s just getting warmed up. Over at his own joint he really gets worried, but it is so silly it is not worth even quoting (he’s essentially [...]
Pingback by Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Five Ring Circus — 10/2/2009 @ 2:31 pm
Yeah, it’s a crippling blow, all right. The guy might as well just shoot himself now that he’s lost face with a bunch of right-wing pundits who have been collectively assailing him as the second coming of Kim Jong-Il for a year.
Comment by beetroot — 10/2/2009 @ 2:39 pm
I’m not a big fan of the Olympic games as a money maker so I’m not upset Chicago didn’t get it. For Obama it was a no win situation because people would have complained about if he hadn’t shown up. I don’t have to explain that Bush would have faced a similar situation if the games had been proposed in let’s say Dallas (and people screaming whichever way it would have gone). Anyway, this whole thing is not exactly high on my priority list.
Comment by funny man — 10/2/2009 @ 3:12 pm
“This man was unprepared for the presidency - moreso than anyone before him.”
Funniest thing I’ve ever read. The last President, aka your cult leader, drove this country off the cliff with the loving praise of you fools and you think Obama wasn’t prepared after 9 months in office?
More proof that the GOP is a regional party about to join the WHIGs.
Comment by Mike S — 10/2/2009 @ 3:16 pm
Jesus Christ, now you all are rooting AGAINST America…..WTF?!?
I say we go back to the days of the bush43 regime and throw the lot of you in jail without charges for treason.
Comment by kindness — 10/2/2009 @ 3:42 pm
“I just don’ see how the GOP celebrating a loss of prestige as a long term winner.”
I agree with that. No sunny-faced Reagans here with funny quips and down-home stories meant to impart a lesson. Just vitriol and joy at failure, followed up by shallow claims of non-existent substance on policy ideas.
Rick oversells Obama’s failures here (I agree with those who said he would have blamed for it anyway if Chicago had not gone, “see Obama let the US lose the Olympics bid, why did he let us look bad like that? He must hate America and want it to fail.”) but the man has big problems and his allies and some of his decisions don’t help much.
One day sooner than later the GOP will have a figure who actually brings ideas, respect, and cunning to the table. For now, Obama is blessed in having the pathetic lot of opponents he has. His biggest enemy is not the GOP but the failed (from 2007 onward) Congressional leadership and the lack of any significant internal coherence tool like Republicans have with their usual ready to go primary challengers for any figures who don’t toe the line.
Comment by Eddie — 10/2/2009 @ 4:16 pm
It was a mistake, more atmospheric than substantative. I don’t see it helping the GOP other than maybe lessening the stature of a strong political foe.
I don’t think this is the signal for Iran to complete the nukes or for Putin to get adventuresome or …
Comment by c3 — 10/2/2009 @ 4:26 pm
This has nothing to do with leadership…It was just a simple gesture by Obama to speak on behalf of Chicago…The Olympic committee rejected the City of Chicago, not Obama..
If I had my choice of vacationing in either Rio or Chicago, I’d reject Chicago also..
Obama was a stand-up guy for going to Copenhagen to root for the home team…Reasonable people realize that this means nothing compared with everything else he has on his plate, but he made the effort anyway…good for him.
This was your typical right wing, transparent, whiny, hypocritical, mountain out of a molehill, sour grapes, white noise, anti-American, echo chamber issue to begin with…The right has been rooting for America to lose so they can blame Obama and his “leadership skills”…and now they’re cheering because they think they have a victory of any consequence..
They don’t
Comment by Moltenorb — 10/2/2009 @ 6:12 pm
If trying and failing to secure the Olympics for Chicago makes Obama looks bad, the explosion of cheering his (and our) loss by right-wingers makes them look even worse.
Sane Americans are not cheering that America didn’t land the Olympic games.
I agree with that. I am not cheering that Chicago lost. But I am relieved given that the amount of money that would have been wasted through fraud and chicanery would have been astronomical. It is unseemly, this celebration by the right. There are plenty of reasons to oppose Chicago getting the Olympics without hoping for failure by Obama.
ed.
Comment by Pug — 10/2/2009 @ 7:02 pm
You know the funny thing about this whole 2016 Olympic games competition? The President didn’t have a choice in the matter! Before the start of voting today, not just President Obama, but the leaders of Brazil, Japan, and Spain made their personal pitch to the IOC. So imagine if Obama hadn’t gone to Copenhagen, he’d be blamed for not going either!
Comment by Surabaya Stew — 10/2/2009 @ 8:27 pm
#4 “I just don’ see how the GOP celebrating a loss of prestige as a long term winner. ”
Nobody is ‘celebrating’ except in Rio. As for ‘loss of prestige’ that is a true yawner. Didnt Obama tell the UN we are not above other nations now? shouldnt Obama supporters treat Rio’s win as no big deal then? Its no BFD in my view.
#7 “For Obama it was a no win situation because people would have complained about if he hadn’t shown up.”
Nonsense. It would have been a non-issue presidentially if he didnt put his personal charm on the line in the effort. I don’t recall a single personage outside his coterie of Chicago cronies calling on him to make that particular trip. In the end, it was a futile waste of his time. He made a mistake. Move on.
#12 “This was your typical right wing, transparent, whiny, hypocritical, mountain out of a molehill, sour grapes, white noise, anti-American, echo chamber issue to begin with”
Please … breathe into the brown paper bag … slooowly.
12 hours since the announcement, and you’ve gone ‘mountain out of a molehill’? Project much?!?
We now have MSNBC in full meltdown, falsely claiming right-wingers *wanted* Obama/Chicago to fail. (well, concern over taxpayer-bilking and corruption that could arise was out there, but nobody actively opposed Chicago’s bid, that’s nuts.)
And now the vapid “criticizing Obama means you want America to fail” meme. …
#12: “The right has been rooting for America to lose so they can blame Obama and his “leadership skills””
This kind of “Blame Righty” left-liberal spin is both predictable and utterly insane. Point out that Obama goofed up and you get called “traitor” by lobotomized lefties. Are they incapable of taking any criticism of The One? Or noticing he might just be The Clod Who Goofed? That “our country” and “our Goverment” and “the current occupant of the White House” are 3 different entities? Their skin thickness is measured in nanometers. Bizarre!
None of us on the right are ‘rooting for Obama to ‘fail’. We are merely observers, akin to watching a drunk driver on the road, predicting and fearing the inevitable wreck that will follow. We lament not cheer the consequences of Obama’s leftism and ineptitude. Predicting Obama’s screwups, pointing out Obama’s screwups, and analyzing Obama’s screwups is NOT the same as ‘rooting for’ his screwups to happen. That ball is in Obama’s court. HE is the leader, and HE is responsible for what happens to him - not the powerless right.
Personally, I am rooting for Obama to get a visit from the ghosts of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan and wake up tomorrow a changed man. I can only hope.
Comment by Travis Monitor — 10/2/2009 @ 8:41 pm
This is not a failure of Obama, it’s a failure of Chicago. I lived in Chicago for 22 years–the mayor and his administration suck terribly and the transport infrastructure is in dire condition. My hope is that this is a blow to Daley and his henchmen and that Chicago can get a better city government–the b.s. from Daley and the disgraceful infrastructure issues are actually part of the reason I left.
The GOP cheering this as an Obama defeat is gross, and this article is, in my opinion, way way off base in most respects. Unfortunately I don’t have time this minute to get into it. I will say this though–Obama has helped the US in the most tremendous way internationally. We were among the most hated countries on the planet a year ago and we’re still up there. His attempts to repair relationships abroad have been measurably successful and not a single conservative will give credit for that. I know the GOP doesn’t think that the rest of the world’s views matter at all–after all, we’re 4% of the world’s population, why shouldn’t we rule the place? Well, the 96% of non-America cares about their interests. I’m really disgusted right now with this rhetoric from the Right. I loathed Bush like no other, but even I wouldn’t have criticized Bush for supporting America’s bid for the Olympics (although I would have thought he was a liability).
Comment by Todd — 10/2/2009 @ 8:45 pm
Todd,
You blather too much. Your country WILL ALWAYS BE HATED no matter what.
Americans like you show how weak minded and terribly ignorant people in this country are when it comes to the question of Anti Americanism.
Your entire post was pathetic. And your “rhetoric from the Right” whining does you no good. Of course we are happy that Obama FAILED. and made an absolute FOOL of himself.
Obama will get the same amount of respect from conservatives that liberals gave Bush.
WHERE THE HELL where you when the entire Democrat party with the exception of Lieberman were rooting for the US to fail in Iraq ?
Where the hell where you when Harry Reid said the Iraq war was lost ?
And you are now whining about the rhetoric ? you sow what you reap.
I feel happy for the Chicago tax payers - the Games would have been yet another giant corruption scheme for the Crook County minions and Shortshanks.
Comment by Nagarajan Sivakumar — 10/2/2009 @ 9:02 pm
granted, the man hasn’t accomplished much. but i think Moltenorb’s right– this was a gesture, no more. yes, he should definitely be putting more time and energy into afghanistan, among other things (i mean, was there no real game plan prepared already? afghanistan was sitting there waiting for the next POTUS).
but the olympics bid, and it’s success or failure? indicative of little.
Comment by brooks — 10/2/2009 @ 10:09 pm
thank you Rick for equating Camp David, reykjavik, and the summer olympics.
You are the equivalency master!
Comment by bobnoxious — 10/2/2009 @ 11:21 pm
Nagarajan Sivakumar, you don’t know me or anything about me, so save your ignorant garbage. You don’t know what I may or may not have said about Harry Reid, Iraq, or anyone else. So, did the leaders of Japan and Spain fail and make fools of themselves? Is this the bar now? If you hate America so much, go back to India.
Comment by Todd — 10/2/2009 @ 11:54 pm
wowo, wasn’t it ten minutes ago when the right wing was slamming obama for fighting for the olympics at all? this just looks like mealy mouthed stuff. unworthy but not surprising.
Comment by yoyo — 10/3/2009 @ 1:01 am
Hey Todd, don’t feel bad about Nagarajan Sivakumar; he’s just showing off his charming personality. It means he’s threatened enough with what you wrote to strike back with the Chewbacca defense..
Comment by Surabaya Stew — 10/3/2009 @ 4:34 am
Travis says:
“Nobody is ‘celebrating’ except in Rio.”
I guess you don’t read too many conservative blogs except for this one Travis..
Some random comments from RedState…
1. “The Messiah has failed?
Erick….you seem to take such glee in his failure?
HA HA So do I……”
2. “We’re cheering against Obama. Hosting the Olympics doesn’t do anything for the U.S.”
3. “Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.
This puts a huge grin on my face for the rest of the day. Will be interested to see how the Obamas address this huge loss of face on both their parts. Guess the IOC was immune to charms of the First Grizzly and her toned arms plus the frozen rictus grin of her husband.
Good on ya, IOC, you finally did something I can applaud you for!”
4. “It’s a real sun shiny day now that the IOC has rejected him. I want to see some more rejection before the year is out. That way we can show him as a super failure.”
And from HotAir…
1. “It feels like Christmas!”
2. “YES!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, man I feel the need to go buy a cake or something!”
3. “Wow! Hope and Change, Baby!!!!! Take that Obama!”
4. “Gosh this is my happy Friday news! Our bho, mo, jarrett, and oprah went under the bus!”
5. “It just doesn’t get any better than this!!!!!!!”
I could post thousands of similar comments from conservative sites Travis…If this isn’t “celebrating”…than what is it?
Comment by Moltenorb — 10/3/2009 @ 4:38 am
Then Travis says:
“(…nobody actively opposed Chicago’s bid, that’s nuts.)”
Rick Moran opposed Chicago’s bid on the basis of corruption…see his 9/28 posting..
Rick…he’s calling you “nuts” and a “nobody”…You gonna take that crap?
Comment by Moltenorb — 10/3/2009 @ 4:45 am
Then Travis says:
“None of us on the right are ‘rooting for Obama to ‘fail’”
Are you living on the same planet as the rest of us Travis?
Rush Limbaugh: “I Hope Obama Fails.”
Comment by Moltenorb — 10/3/2009 @ 4:52 am
I’ll repeat my question from earlier: Is everyone cheering and jeering at the King of Spain and Prime Minister of Japan? I’ve checked some international news and they’ve gotten wind of this nastiness and it’s become news in their countries: not the loss (after all, only 1 of the 4 could get it), but the cheering of the loss.
Thanks, Surabaya Stew, for the nice comment–was fun to learn about this “defense.”
Comment by Todd — 10/3/2009 @ 5:44 am
Todd Said:
11:54 pm
Nagarajan Sivakumar….If you hate America so much, go back to India.
CZ: Sounds like racism to me
Comment by CZ — 10/3/2009 @ 7:35 am
I can honestly say that I am sad that AMERICA did not get the Olympics. Having said that, BO got what he deserved… he spends political capital without any idea that Chicago is LAST ON THE LIST?? And after taking a world tour where he essentially bashes America every chance he gets, is ANYONE surprised? I suspect that had BO been successful in persuading the Olumpic Committee, unfortunately, we would have been mired in the same corruption that he surrounds himself in now. I am not celebrating… no euphoria or glee. Just a sinking feeling as we continue to slide into mediocrity.
Comment by Elizabeth — 10/3/2009 @ 9:44 am
Why racism? He has an Indian name. Two of my closest friends are from India and I’ve vacationed there more than once. He went on about how much “your country” (i.e., not his) will always be hated. If he doesn’t like it, don’t stay. How is that racist? CZ, don’t throw words like that around so carelessly. I’ll say the same to you as I did him–you don’t know me or anything about me. You don’t even know what color MY skin is for that matter.
Comment by Anonymous — 10/3/2009 @ 10:13 am
Sorry, 29 was my comment.
Comment by Todd — 10/3/2009 @ 10:14 am
You’re welcome, Todd…
Comment by Surabaya Stew — 10/3/2009 @ 11:42 am
The IOC had to think when Daley stood there flapping his gums they were looking at the “Irish Don” of the “26th Street Crew”. Just Google.
The domination and control of City Hall a/k/a a Criminal Racketeering Enterprise. See; Fred Roti “Made Man” and the unconstitutional gun ban ordinance introduced by this 1st ward MOBBED-UP Alderman, now before the Nine Justices of the SCOTUS on 9/29/09. Sotomayor should recuse herself. She has already demonstrated her bias in the Cuomo case. See; chicagoguncase.com
The Southside faction of La Cosa Nostra[some of Daley's school chums located in his "Very Own" Bridgeport backyard] who have now had their hands cuffed from the Racketeering cookie jar, ending, for once, the many years of criminal and civil racketeering litigation after the bribes and “Pay to Play” “Games” have ended.
To the voters of Shitago . Please, keep pulling the handle of corruption in the next election’s voting booth so the City can go bankrupt at the expense of YOUR WALLETS. Like the waste of $40 miilion dollars in the “Hired Truck Scandal” with the 1st/11th Ward MOB skimming $35 million for little or NO WORK preformed. Ghosts with a paycheck. While MOB related family members and associates are employed at City Hall or in every entity thereto. And Daley doesn’t know a thing?
How many poor African American children would $40 million have fed, housed, put clothes on their backs or funded the failing schools like Tilden High on South Union Aveune? Located in Daley’s Dynasty Ward.
WHERE WAS OBAMA? Does he know these wiseguys too? Did he give them a pass in the State Senate of Illinois? Were there any wiseguys in the State Senate. You bet your sweet welfare check there was! Why wasn’t he screaming in concert with the Soul Train duo Jesse Jackson[s], concerning the MOB ripping off African American’s and other minority participants including minority women businesses?
Because the “Hits” would “keep on comming”,with the theme song of the Sorprano’s playing in the background. A song called Trunk Music playing loud and clear to muzzle the gunshots. Bunch of punks, pimps, phonies, frauds and prostitutes of government waste, fraud and abuse without the jewels to stand up to the wiseguys without the FEDS, while yacking about equality with their tails between their legs and muzzles on their mouths concerning the very corruption that holds the people down with artificial number of “jobs created” bullshit.
They’re all sitting down when they have to wee-wee! This is a fact, Obama has already cut a deal to rid the Teamsters of the FEDS but Hoffa Jr’s record of “reform” per the “Consent Decree” with his own former federal investigator quiting because of little or no action including resistence and/or the failure/refusal to act without proding by the IRB is to maintain the Chicago way. The Clinton[s] have New York in the bag.
Furthermore, all anyone with any brains has to do is research the ties of Acorn to the Mobbed-Up Teamsters Union on South Ashland Ave., during the Clinton years of the early 90’s, including Trumka of the AFL-CIO the DNC et. al.. They’re all linked together while the DOJ/IRB purged the “Domination & Control” of La Cosa Nostra Members and assocates Nationwide from the Teamsters for life in their attempt to clean up the Union. Restoring it to the rank & file for representtion and enforcement of their labor contracts. To end the sell-outs. Acorn a/k/a/ another criminal racketeering enterprise? Do the taxpayers have standing to file civil RICO claims?
Millions in taxpayer $$$$$$$$$ spent in federal litigation. It only took the Feds 40 years to smell the stench of shit that ha been on their plate since Robert Kennedy. Where was Teddy all those years? Hiding under his desk wiping his wet chin off, knowing his ass belonged to them or else? Or was it, we’ll have the power of union corruption on our side for OUR future democratic elections, or both, so he went along?
Remember the “Hoffa Wars” with his little brother as Attorney General? Read you fools read, read, read! Did Hoffa Sr. have JFK “Wacked”? Did the MOB do him a favor before they turned on him and groomed Fitzsimmons.
It’s been 21 years of Federal intervention. Hoffa Jr. is no friend to those rank & file members who can think for themselves beyond the aroma of olive oil and garlic, like shady sweetheart illegal backroom deals by the past union attorneys of Local 705 or the likes of Passo/Hogan with Mob ties. Passo, a Local 705 Henchman, Hogan, Local 714/Joint Council 25 Principle Officer of both, owned by the MOB and both barred for life. Think McCormick place.
See National Legal Policy Center website nlpc.org for Organized Labor/Crime study and disclosures or call up Teamsters Headquarters in Washington D.C. for ALL the Teamster Magazines with the mandated disclosing of the US District Court 2nd Circuit[New York] proceedings including the IRB “findings of fact” and conclusions of law.
I ran as fast as I could out of this cesspool of urban dispair to save my young children from these parasites almost ten years ago, living in the 11th ward armed to the hilt[2nd Amendment] for most of my life, so I know what I’m talking about more so than any other leftwing critic trying to defend the failure Obama is, just in this regard alone. He’s all smoke and mirors, he’s selling out America, which means you too you dummies with your hands out.
Hey, there ya go “Obama For Dummies”…..”Lies You Can Believe In” I will even go as far as to say I’ll debate OPRAH on the victimization of union corruption in Chicago. Blackballing,loss of employment and ERISA benefits including HEALTH INSURANCE and pension credits.
She has no clue what happened to me and my family/Teamsters Union Corruption sold us out. Never ending City Hall corruption. It’s in her face all over the place but she never says a word. Another sellout of the African American communities by her silence and money and that’s a shame. She doesn’t have the guts.
Who cares about her books and give aways while the beat goes on and on and on and on. Why doesn’t everyone who was on Daley Plaza yesterday give her your gas and electric bills for her to pay? Save you from the bank foreclosing on your homes, that you couldn’t or wouldn’t pay for in the first place. How’s that working out for ya? Wealth redistribution! See if she’ll go for ir?
For those liberal leftwing loons, remember common sense [if you have any for self preservation and survival] tells you that if corruption is the Chicago Mob Way. You are the ones paying for it every day of your lives between election cycles.
Ask yourselves; What has Daley done for me lately besides taxes, rats & fraud? “Play it again Sam” just pull that lever ONE MORE TIME FOR THE BEAT of the Racketeering drum to go on ! Please continue the sweeping net of RICO until it grabs Daley. But he won’t stick around after this HUGE “AGONY OF DEFEAT”. The City’s broke. What, not enough bribe money left?
Was the US Attorney looking over their shoulders? Title III wiretaps?
What does Daley and the Feds know, that the wiseguys don’t? MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMM !
Is Daley the next Jackie Presser or Sammy “The Bull” Gravano?
I’ll love reading about it many miles away, in the clear prestine mountains of the Ozarks, while my money remains in my wallet, not Daley’s. Who’s obsessed by his intentional, willfull, wanton ignorance hampered by the blindness of the clothes pin on his nose to protect his senses from the steaming pile of horse shit rotting under his desk from the days of his daddy. Or has he found Hoffa Sr.?
Comment by Chris Pedersen — 10/3/2009 @ 12:01 pm
#24 : ““(…nobody actively opposed Chicago’s bid, that’s nuts.)”
“Rick Moran opposed Chicago’s bid on the basis of corruption…see his 9/28 posting..”
Yes, but I said *actively* for a reason. We have leftists claiming that somehow the right managed to squash Obama/Chicago’s hopes. That’s nuts. The specific nutty claim I refer to can be found here:
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/10/02/msnbc-s-schultz-blames-right-wing-talkers-obama-olympic-defeat-compares-g
Neither Rick Moran nor anyone else went to the IOC to actively oppose Chicago’s bid in Copenhagen, or agitated for an effort. Nobody tried. It was merely his blogged opinion. It’s wrong to blame Rick, the 45% of Chicagoans who opposed Chicago getting the 2016 Olympics, or anyone else worried about the corruption that would flow out of a Chicago 2016 Olympics, for Chicago’s failed bid. Which is why Ed Shultz comparing the Republicans to “Hanoi Jane” is just ludicrous.
Rick Moran aint no Hanoi Jane.
PS. MSNBC’s Ed Shultz also said … “”Now, the same crowd that says they support the troops didn’t support the United States getting the Olympics,” Schultz said” … hmmm, so anyone who opposed Chicago’s Olympic bid is *unpatriotic* now!?? (eyes roll)
That was my point.
Comment by Travis Monitor — 10/3/2009 @ 1:09 pm
#4: “I just don’ see how the GOP celebrating a loss of prestige”
#15 ““Nobody is ‘celebrating’ except in Rio.”
#23 “I guess you don’t read too many conservative blogs except for this one Travis..”
Point well taken, some right-blog commenters did enjoy and celebrate the come-uppance of Obama, akin to those lefties who jumped for joy at Bush administration setbacks at home and abroad. Frankly, I hadnt seen such comments when I posted.
Yet what I was responding to this was … “GOP celebrating a loss of prestige”. That did NOT happen.
- A few right-blog commenters does not equate to ‘the GOP’
- Righties enjoying Obama’s Olympic failure is quite distinct from ‘celebrating a loss of prestige’ … “We’re cheering against Obama. Hosting the Olympics doesn’t do anything for the U.S.”
This whole “you are against the USA because you dont like Obama” meme is absurd. It once again conflates person with country in a wrong way.
Likewise on your comparison of Rush quote - my point was the conflating of ‘fail’ at personal level vs country level. Rush said Obama’s failure to pass his agenda would be best for the country, so to complete the analogy, he hoped the drunk driver goes into a ditch instead staying on the road and hitting a semi truck. But the key point is - Obama is behind the wheel.
Democrats need to get off the dime of blaming the right for Obama’s setbacks, or trying to insinuate lack of patriotism for mere political dissent.
As I said: HE (Obama) is the leader, and HE is responsible for what happens to him - not the powerless right.
Comment by Travis Monitor — 10/3/2009 @ 1:30 pm
At the root of it, yeah, I’m GLAD that Obama, MEMEMEMichelle, and Oprah failed. They threw their weight around (and in the case of Oprah, considerable weight) all to naught. Sorry that the saddle on his unicorn slipped but there it it.
Comment by Gunny G — 10/3/2009 @ 4:06 pm
Crikey,
from this sode of the world the general observation is that Obama did a pretty perfectory, pro-forma effort even though everyone knew that there was no chance of Chicago winning (Brazil’s bid included the observation that the games have never been to latin America. What does Chicago have to offer in comparison?)
The man seemed to play it about as much as he could be bothered.
And what’s this “Spent political capital” nonsense? “Observed the political niceties” seems to about cover it.
Oh, and given the tiny amount of effort he put into it in comparison to other countries (Blair for example spent three days there constantly glad handing officials, Obama turned up for a speech and left again) can we assume that he wasn’t trying to pay off his cronies. Surely if he were looking to secure some baksheesh for his allies, he would have pur in a bit of commitment.
Comment by Drongo — 10/3/2009 @ 5:02 pm
I love the hypocracy from the right, including the moderate right like rick, “Oh Obama badmouths us to other countries” and then the celebration when America cant win a fairly unwinnable competition.
Comment by yoyo — 10/3/2009 @ 6:05 pm
I knew the Limbaugh wing would enjoy Obama’s failure, I didn’t realize they would go threw the roof with joy like they did. I guess the conservative movement hasn’t had much to cheer about lately. Their hatred of Obama is getting legendary. How sad
Comment by Joe — 10/3/2009 @ 6:34 pm
Gunny, if you’d ever been to Chicago (maybe you have), you’d know that they IOC would have been nuts to award the games to them. I wrote to Obama and asked him not to support the bid because the local government and infrastructure issues were not conducive to holding the games.
Oprah and the Obamas didn’t fail–sorry to burst your mean-spirited bubble. Rio won, and good on them for it–I hope they do a great job. I have yet to hear one nasty word from you all about the King of Spain or Prime Minister of Japan. Also, I’d think twice about making weight jokes about Oprah (who I don’t watch) when your heroes are Rush, Beck, Hannity, etc.
Comment by Todd — 10/3/2009 @ 8:58 pm
Todd,
I have been Chicago. Not a nice place. However, Rio has a higher murder rate than Chicago (shocking that), a higher violent crime rate than Chicago, and slums that make anything that Rezko-Obama thought of look like the Taj Mahal.
As usual, liberals, and I assume you’re one, miss the point. The Chicago Trifecta tried to throw the gig and failed. The “Won’s” charisma failed to win those who were supposed to love him. Even speaking to them from a teleprompter failed to win the day.
BTW, I listen to Rush, Beck, and Hannity but my heroes are more mundane, i.e., General McChrystal who told the truth and stood by it, the troops who fight on while Obama and his wife enjoy date night, and my own daughter, enlisted in June 2009.
Comment by Gunny G — 10/4/2009 @ 8:14 am
One addition point that the Left and Roland Burris failed to remember.
The IOC announced Chicago as a 2016 finalist in June 2008, while Bush was still POTUS.
One wonders why ABCSEEBSNBCPMSNBCCNN failed to note that as they blamed Bush.
Comment by Gunny G — 10/4/2009 @ 8:27 am
What I think many on the left fail to recognize is that Obama put himself on the line here. Sure, he brought some fellow Chicagoans along to sell the idea but, he decided, that he would make the pitch on behalf of Chicago and America HIMSELF. It’s not something a US President typically does.
Observe how this appears to that very same world Obama indulged in lots of public apologizing of America to.
It’s like saying my GM car sucks! Then exclaiming excitedly minutes later: “I want a new Camaro!”
Obama went for it, and failed. Whether Obama thought his power of personality would win the bid or not, Obama chose to put HIMSELF out there.
It’s his failure.
I had no problem with the left being critical of Bush regarding policy. But the; “miserable failure”, “war is lost” devolving into “where’s Lee Harvey Oslwald when we need him” remarks were just a few of the comments that went well beyond policy disagreements. With hardly a critical comment from those posting here now.
Obama, and the Democrat party have a thin skin when it comes to being criticized about even their policies.
Hey, you guys won the necessary elections; stand up & take it, provide better ideas or just quit yer whinin’ already.
Comment by P. Aaron — 10/4/2009 @ 1:47 pm
Gunny, are you actually saying that the President shouldn’t take his wife to dinner on their anniversary because there’s a war in Afghanistan? Has it come to this?
Comment by Todd — 10/4/2009 @ 7:22 pm