Charles Krauthammer has a thing or two to say about Obama's recent immigration speech:
I remember Bill Clinton and the much deserved reputation he gained for being an extraordinary liar. I think we can say with confidence that Clinton's habitual problems with the truth pale in comparison to Obama's. This President's penchant for prevarication is unmatched. He makes Clinton look like Mother Theresa."I'm going to do my part to lead a constructive and civil debate on these issues."
- Barack Obama, speech on immigration, El Paso, Tex., May 10
Constructive and civil debate - like the one Obama initiated just four weeks ago on deficit reduction? The speech in which he accused the Republicans of abandoning families of autistic and Down syndrome kids? The debate in which Obama's secretary of health and human services said that the Republican plan would make old folks "die sooner"?
In this same spirit of comity and mutual respect, Obama's most recent invitation to civil discourse - on immigration - came just 11 minutes after he accused opponents of moving the goal posts on border enforcement. "Maybe they'll need a moat," he said sarcastically. "Maybe they want alligators in the moat."
Nice touch. Looks like the Tucson truce - no demonization, no cross-hairs metaphors - is officially over. After all, the Republicans want to kill off the elderly, throw the disabled in the snow and watch alligators lunch on illegal immigrants.
The El Paso speech is notable not for breaking any new ground on immigration, but for perfectly illustrating Obama's political style: the professorial, almost therapeutic, invitation to civil discourse, wrapped around the basest of rhetorical devices - charges of malice compounded with accusations of bad faith. "They'll never be satisfied," said Obama about border control. "And I understand that. That's politics."
How understanding. The other side plays "politics," Obama acts in the public interest. Their eyes are on poll numbers, political power, the next election; Obama's rest fixedly on the little children.
This impugning of motives is an Obama constant. "They" play politics with deficit reduction, with government shutdowns, with health care. And now immigration. It is ironic that such a charge should be made in a speech that is nothing but politics. There is zero chance of any immigration legislation passing Congress in the next two years. El Paso was simply an attempt to gin up the Hispanic vote as part of an openly political two-city, three-event campaign swing in preparation for 2012.
Accordingly, the El Paso speech featured two other staples: the breathtaking invention and the statistical sleight of hand.
Read the rest of Krauthammer's piece and come to more fully appreciate how void of character is Barack Hussein Obama and how he'll say, and do, anything to remain in power. The man reeks of duplicity, reeks, and yet many continue to buy the snake oil he's offering.
I can't get my arms around how this can be so.
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Barack Obama, Policy of Prevarication
Comments (20)
I'll take a couple tickets ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Oz | May 13, 2011 6:41 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
I'll take a couple tickets to: ...watch alligators lunch on illegal immigrants.
1. Posted by Oz | May 13, 2011 6:41 AM |
Score: 5 (7 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 06:41
2. Posted by Gmac | May 13, 2011 9:13 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
He does make the Boy President look like Mother Teresa when it comes to saying one thing and then doing the complete opposite.
Serial prevaricator and pathological liar were words I commonly used when describing Clinton, Obama takes it to an entirely new level with personal attacks after having said he was "reaching out" to the other side.
2. Posted by Gmac | May 13, 2011 9:13 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 09:13
3. Posted by PBunyan | May 13, 2011 9:35 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Obama's childish and very offensive rhetoric about the border got me thinking about how it is really just a typical example of how leftists think. To them, realty--results and effects of government actions-- do not matter at all. Appearance and intention are all that matter.
Obama likes to talk about all "they've" done. He knows that most of his supporters are too ignorant to know the fact that Obama has totally opposed everything (as little as that actually has been) that's been done so far, so he can falsely claim credit for it in typical Obama fasion. Now, eveyone with even a little brains, common sense, and honesty (non-Obama supporters, all) knows that what "they" want is for the government to stop the millions of illegal aliens from illegally crossing the boarder every year and not just sligtly slow the flow as they've done thus far; but to far leftist elitists like Obama and his supporters, the mere fact that the government gave the appearance of trying to do something should be more than enough to satisfy everyone. The actualy results, the reality of the situation, do not matter.
For pretty much any topic you pick you'll see this same pattern. For example, the intention in creating the "great society" government programs was to help the poor and needy. The result was that ever increasing numbers of people became trapped in the cycle of poverty and today tens of millions of more people live in poverty in this country than there would be had the govenment not tried to help. Still you will not find a leftist who would honestly admit that the great society is a failure and has only made things worse. To them, simply because they did something and had good intentions, they were successful.
There are about as many examples of this as there are goverment programs but the pattern is always the same.
3. Posted by PBunyan | May 13, 2011 9:35 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 09:35
4. Posted by GarandFan | May 13, 2011 9:39 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
"I can't get my arms around how this can be so."
As Ron White observed, "You can't fix stupid".
4. Posted by GarandFan | May 13, 2011 9:39 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 09:39
5. Posted by Don L | May 13, 2011 9:55 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Dishonesty? You just don't appreciate accomplished professionalism from the political class.
5. Posted by Don L | May 13, 2011 9:55 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 09:55
6. Posted by Don L | May 13, 2011 9:57 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"Obama's childish and very offensive rhetoric about the border got me thinking about how it is really just a typical example of how leftists think. To them, realty--results and effects of government actions-- do not matter at all. Appearance and intention are all that matter."
Yup, deceit is their god -and it don't tolerate no competition from the God of truth, either.
6. Posted by Don L | May 13, 2011 9:57 AM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 09:57
7. Posted by Olsoljer | May 13, 2011 10:54 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
obama has assured himself of a spot in our history books, and let us learn from this mistake.
No one is totally worthless, so let him serve as the epitome of a bad example.
7. Posted by Olsoljer | May 13, 2011 10:54 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 10:54
8. Posted by jim m | May 13, 2011 11:09 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
The pinnacle of dishonesty is but a short climb from where obama lives every day.
8. Posted by jim m | May 13, 2011 11:09 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 11:09
9. Posted by GarandFan | May 13, 2011 11:10 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Still haven't figured out why his mouth isn't in traction - he talks out of both sides so often.
9. Posted by GarandFan | May 13, 2011 11:10 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 11:10
10. Posted by Matt | May 13, 2011 11:34 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
It's pretty bad when you miss the truth and openness of the Clinton administration...
10. Posted by Matt | May 13, 2011 11:34 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 11:34
11. Posted by Tsar Nicholas II | May 13, 2011 2:50 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Calling Obama dishonest really is an insult to dishonest people everywhere.
11. Posted by Tsar Nicholas II | May 13, 2011 2:50 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 14:50
12. Posted by Tim | May 13, 2011 4:58 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
It's pretty bad when you miss the truth and openness of the Clinton administration...
And the competence and achievements of the Carter team...
12. Posted by Tim | May 13, 2011 4:58 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 13, 2011 16:58
13. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 8:37 AM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Rick, you are in no position to criticize the honesty of others. Your article on the Navy Seals has been proven wrong and you have not posted a correction yet.
13. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 8:37 AM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 08:37
14. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 8:39 AM | Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Why is it that bloggers think they can post wrong information and feel as if they never have to post corrections.
14. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 8:39 AM |
Score: -1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 08:39
15. Posted by Ryan M. | May 14, 2011 10:25 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Why do you think you can, Tina?
15. Posted by Ryan M. | May 14, 2011 10:25 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 10:25
16. Posted by Rick
| May 14, 2011 10:27 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Tina S,
What specifically and particularly did I post that was A) wrong and B) dishonest?
I'm looking for quotes and substantive links... not your opinions...
And by the way... when one uses the word "suggest", it means that they put something out there for consideration...
Knowing your history of comprehension problems, I don't have much hope that you'll get this... but what the hell... maybe you'll surprise us.
16. Posted by Rick
| May 14, 2011 10:27 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 10:27
17. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 11:51 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
What specifically and particularly did I post that was A) wrong and B) dishonest?
You said that the CBS article "suggest that the reports of a video blackout are completely untrue". There is nothing in the article that makes any kind of suggestion that the blackout did not happen. Perhaps your error was in assuming that there should only be 25 minutes of video instead of the 40 minutes. But since no one in the administration or military has ever reported that the blackout was in the recording of the video, that assumption would be wrong. You can't just make things up like that. Please do the right thing and man up to your mistakes.
17. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 11:51 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 11:51
18. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 11:54 AM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
And by the way... when one uses the word "suggest", it means that they put something out there for consideration...
Rick, show me one sentence or paragraph where CBS "suggested" this and I will shut up.
18. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 11:54 AM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 11:54
19. Posted by Rick
| May 14, 2011 1:21 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I cede nothing on this Tina. With other reports stating that there was a video blackout and this one suggesting that all Seals had an active helmet cam and an administration known for not only telling lies but being caught in them, I see no problem with using the word suggest.
Let me write the sentence you find so offensive in a different way and see if it'll make a difference:
In what way is that sentence A)a lie or B) wrong?
19. Posted by Rick
| May 14, 2011 1:21 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 13:21
20. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 1:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Rick,
Nobody in the administration has ever stated that that the blackout was in anything more than the transmission, not the recording of the video. Only right wing blogs are making the false claim that the recordings were said to be blocked out. Technically you are correct, the reports made by right wing blogs are completely untrue. Eventhough that would make you technically correct it is still dishonest because you are implying that the administration reports were compltetely untrue.
Show me on statement by the administration or military that states that the recording of the videos was blacked out and I'll shut up.
20. Posted by Tina S | May 14, 2011 1:34 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 14, 2011 13:34