Saddleback McCain Takes Down Obama for the count - part one

http://PopModal.com Sunday, August 17, 2008
Obama's Credibility Gap --Large and Growing
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 4:09 PM
One of the great aspects of the new blog/feed put together by Peter Robinson and Rob Long is that it allows for a quick survey of all the recent blog posts from the collected center-right authors, which in turn allows for a consensus to reveal itself pretty quickly.

The consensus on yesterday's forum at Saddleback Valley Community Church is that Senator McCain had an exceptional night, that Rick Warren pulled off a very difficult job, and that Senator Obama was smooth as usual except for his "above my pay grade" gaffe, which is one of those phrases that will stick and hurt.

Obama also had on display yesterday a very troubling slipperiness that is increasingly defining him. The senator has tried, somewhat successfully for the time being, to slip away from his associations with Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.

He has also managed to slip into a "reformer" shtick that has zero connection to his hyper-partisan voting record.

But yesterday he tried to slip past at least two issues on which such obfuscation shouldn't work --same sex marriage and Senate ethics reform.

My point here is not to argue the policy positions Obama takes, but to point out his firm denial of his real positions on both issues. He flat out distorted his positions, and did so without even an arched eye-brow from the MSM.

The transcripts of the interviews are here. (HT: Red County).

Obama's distortion of events with regards to Senate ethics reform came up when Rick Warren asked for "an example of when you went against party loyalty and maybe even against your own best interest for the good of America?"

Obama replied:

Well, I'll give you an example that in fact I worked with John McCain on, and that was the issue of campaign ethics reform and finance reform. That wasn't probably in my interest or his for that matter because the truth was both Democrats and Republicans sort of like the status quo and I was new to the Senate and it didn't necessarily engender a lot of popularity when I started saying, you know, we are going to eliminate meals and gifts from corporate lobbyists. I remember one of my colleagues whose name will be unmentioned who said, "Well, where do you expect us to eat, McDonalds?" and I thought, well, actually, a lot of opur constituents probably do eat at McDonald's so that wouldn't be such a bad thing. I think we were able to get a bill passed that hasn't made Washington perfect but at least it [is] moving things forward.

Put aside the cloying identification with the McDonald's customers and the wonderfully convenient story of the unnamed senator's cravenness, and just focus on the facts. Recall, Obama cited McCain here as his cover for acting in a bipartisan or non-partisan fashion. The detailed account of this "teamwork" from David Freddoso's new book --pp. 97-99, puts the lie to Obama's account. In fact Obama approached McCain and "promised to work with him seriously on a bipartisan lobbying and ethics reform package," in February 2006. After some work "McCain thought they had an agreement." Freddoso continues:

Then Obama's party leaders took him aside and set him straight. They had an election plan, and they weren't about to have [Obama] ruin that by working on both sides of the aisle to accomplish something substantive in 2006.


Freddoso then reprints the account of the Obama double-cross reported by Marc Ambinder, then working for the highly respect National Journal. Obama sent McCain a letter backing out of the effort.. McCain responded with a blistering rebuke.

"I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable," McCain responded. "[T]hank you for disabusing me of such notions."

No matter what one thinks of the merits of the Obama flip-flop, for him to cite his work with John McCain on Senate reform as the best example of his willingness to work against party and self-interest is more than just oily. It is deeply deceptive.

As was Obama's response to Warren's question on marriage.

"I am not somebody who promotes same sex marriage, but I do believe in civil unions," Obama flatly stated.

Here's a July 1 blog post from Democracy for America on Obama's position on California's Proposition 8, the marriage amendment on November's ballot:

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Saddleback
• McCain
• Whomps
• Obama
• above
• my
• pay
• grade

[kidparagon]

this speaks volumes.

[PrestonSxE]

I'd have to agree with you. What the hell were you trying to say?

[Flycertified1]

the video was edited to make it sound like obama is a bad person look at the clock slowly when u see obama talk it goes faster

[zinnington]

The question is, are we this stupid? We've been had. Obama is just another tool of the Rich Elite. Only the shingle and the dogma has changed. He's still in the same back pocked of Goldman Sacks and the Banks and Corportists who are really the goverment. If they could use liberalism to keep us down while they gain control over the country's wealth and power they will and they did with Obama.

This past election was fixed, or haven't you figured that out yet?

[hxtrjeff]

8 months ago.. you said are republicans really this stupid.. do you see now Dems put McCain at the front runner.. do defeat..

but my question for you is..

Do you still like Obama?

Have you waken up yet?

So you see the change is not what you expected?

Give it another 8 months.. we will see what you see then.

We are Fucked because YOU! and everyone like you!

[henrykitoy007]

if other races wil cooperate to the said human rights then their will be peace on earth but its enevitabe that ther are nation who is hunger of justice they are called an envy nation or others who is irrational who is vioalated the so called human law and the law of god

[highgrade707]

Its always between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

...south park....

[Nifden1]

McSame? What did you sit down with your other Change zombies and think of that clever tidbit?

[stuntman1313]

I don't know if I'm watching the same video as some of you guys but this video shows that America picked the wrong president!!!!!!!!!!

[LoisJeanC]

Sure, McSame really showed Obama!