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Monday, April 14, 2008
From Obama's editorial board appearance

Will Bunch reports:

Two important things came out of tonight's editorial board meeting with Barack Obama. (For longer coverage, also click over to Attytood.)

1) He 'misspoke but didn't lie':

"Barack Obama came to speak to editorial writers and reporters from the Daily News and Inquirer this evening, and he essentially tried a do-over on his controversial remarks about "bitter" small-town Pennsylvanians, admitting that he'd 'mangled' what he was trying to say at a San Francisco fundraiser 10 days ago, but that he agreed with a backer who told him that 'you misspoke that you didn't lie.' "

2) He would ask his attorney general to investigate whether the Bush officials should be prosecuted for its handling of torture suspects:

"Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House.

"Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to 'immediately review the information that's already there' and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as 'a partisan witch hunt.' However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "'obody is above the law.' "

Posted by Will Bunch @ 10:25 PM  Permalink | 9 comments
Comments   
Posted 01:44 AM, 04/15/2008
Tanksleyd
The "Bitter" or the "guns & religion". One is outright true, the latter is touchy. The Real Issue: Will poor Whites sacrifice Public Healthcare yet again in fear of Public Welfare? Or why do poor Whites fear the Public?
Posted 02:21 AM, 04/15/2008
john b
Another thing those bitter rubes cling to -- their belief in Hillary. And their appreciation of Bill's presidency. It explains why, bizarrely, the Dem elite, the "creative class," doesn't seem concerned with alienating Hillary's voters. They can do anything they want -- muscle her out of the race, trash Bill, strangle Florida and Michigan, snicker at the sexist gags. Why? Because they look down on and dismiss her supporters, not just her. We'll come along in the end, because our support for her, like our faith and values, is not heartfelt, but just an illegitimate by-product of our low-information bitterness.
Posted 02:21 AM, 04/15/2008
john b
Another thing those bitter rubes cling to -- their belief in Hillary. And their appreciation of Bill's presidency. It explains why, bizarrely, the Dem elite, the "creative class," doesn't seem concerned with alienating Hillary's voters. They can do anything they want -- muscle her out of the race, trash Bill, strangle Florida and Michigan, snicker at the sexist gags. Why? Because they look down on and dismiss her supporters, not just her. We'll come along in the end, because our support for her, like our faith and values, is not heartfelt, but just an illegitimate by-product of our low-information bitterness.
Posted 02:24 AM, 04/15/2008
Tanksleyd
McBush/Bitter Truth: It is interesting how much resistance is given to the true statement that "The Middle Class Is Evaporating Before Our Very Eyes"
Posted 06:11 AM, 04/15/2008
NC voter
As a NC voter and seen this statement from Hillary just shows how desperate she is.NC belongs to Obama.Yes, small towns across NC are bitter when we see our neighborhoods devastated by the closings of manufacturing lost to NAFTA and CAFTA.We stand with Pennsylvania who see the same happening in your small towns.I'm from a mill town and yes it's the same mill that John Edwards always talked about.Our jobs are gone here and we need someone who will listen to what we want and stop telling us that we can't have our manufactories back.Time for CHANGE !!
Posted 06:39 AM, 04/15/2008
Tanksleyd
Exxon does as it pleases as the most logical political union in American history, poor Whites & poor Blacks, is hindered because of ????
Posted 11:07 PM, 04/15/2008
George Tomezsko
Of Course The Boy Blunder must stereotype rural voters. They are simply not buying into his socialist agenda. No wonder he dismisses them as individuals who cling to guns and religion out of anger. If you stop and think about it, that statement is evocative of Mr. Marx's argument that, since religion is the opium of the people, the people cling to it because it provides a haven from which to escape the misery of their condition prior to the Revolution. An elitist as Hillary says of him? No way. Doctrinaire Marxist is more like it.
Posted 11:14 PM, 04/15/2008
George Tomezsko
Of Course The Boy Blunder must stereotype rural voters. They are simply not buying into his socialist agenda. No wonder he dismisses them as individuals who cling to guns and religion out of anger. If you stop and think about it, that statement is evocative of Mr. Marx's argument that, since religion is the opium of the people, the people cling to it because it provides a haven from which to escape the misery of their condition prior to the Revolution. An elitist as Hillary says of him? No way. Doctrinaire Marxist is more like it.
Posted 11:34 AM, 04/17/2008
hobbitt
"admitting that he'd 'mangled' what he was trying to say" Which means in Obama-speak that he said exactly what he intended. It was merely that he was caught which made him explain that we really did not hear what we thought we heard, and that if we did hear it than we misunderstood, and that if we actually managed to understand what we did not hear, that we are wrong for being affronted. And of course, he apologized: he is sorry that some of us may feel offended. Not sorry that what he said was offensive. Not sorry that he offended us. But that he is sorry that we are so incredibly stupid as to feel offended by something he said which, according to him, is true. "I spoke the truth!" This gun-toting, Bible-thumping, xenophobic hick is neither anti-trade nor anti-immigrant nor do I have a deep-seated hatred toward people who "aren't like me." But I do believe that Senator Obama just overtly displayed his antipathy toward anyone who is not an Obama believer and contributor.
9 comments
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The Inauguration: Jan. 20 blog brings you coverage of President-elect Barack Obama's transition into office.

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Thomas FitzgeraldThomas Fitzgerald joined The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2000, and has covered Harrisburg as well as city, state and national politics for the newspaper. He was a “boy on the bus” in the 2004 presidential campaign and during primary contests in 2000 and 1996.

Nathan Gorenstein has covered politics and government in the city, state and nation for the Inquirer. He's worked in the city hall bureau, had a stint on the business desk, and once covered the suburbs. After serving as assistant regional editor, he was named editor of the "Politics" web site.

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