Of course, I realize my response is a touch more thoughtful and informed than tas’s. Perhaps that is the problem.

Very cogent argument, tas! Yea for you!

Kathy, there are plenty of quality arguments against Obama. He has no experience firstly. His speeches (though they sound wonderful) are generally devoid of any substance and ignore the harsh realities of a cruel world. And when there is substance, shallow as it may be, it is not original. Take his “black men need to take more responsibility” speech. There was no reason to give that speech at that time but I do remember when Bill Cosby gave the same admonition. I remember how white conservatives applauded him for it and how black leaders reviled him for it. It was not original but helped with white voters…hmmm.

He has triangulated Bush hatred, Iraq hatred, and inside-the-beltway hatred and has tailored his speeches to those knowing that no one will dispute his positions without suffering the same withering attacks from the media and blogoshere that consevatives have suffered the entire Bush era. You can’t tell me that you know what he thinks about an issue, his positions are “refined” by “inartful” statements too many times. But, guaranteed, he knows what you think!

With his posters, logo, and big rallies…basically, you want to elect a pop star. Instead of songs, he gives you speeches. It is funny, sad, and scary that so many people are falling for it.

Now when I say that, liberals generally come unglued along the “bush lied, people died” meme. To which I reply…you got tricked on that one too!

Be a different kind of liberal: read the relevant UN resolutions, as I did, and make an informed opinion. While you go through make particular note of what Iraq was required to do, then compare that to the text of Blix’s final report with particular focus on the text following the word “Regrettably.”

http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=S/RES/687%20(1991)&Lang=E&Area=RESOLUTION

http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=S/RES/1441%20(2002)&Lang=E&Area=UNDOC

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/27/sprj.irq.transcript.blix/index.html

Since I know by your support for Obama you may have comprehension problems, let me paraphrase.

Resolution 687 was a cease fire. Resolution 1441 declared Iraq in material breech of 687, gave Iraq one month to comply with the provisions of 687 restated in 1441, and instructed Hans Blix to issue the report in the third link. Failure to comply would result in serious consequences. “Regrettably” Iraq did not comply.

Think of all the emotion you have invested in the Iraq War (if you are a typical liberal, and most of you are pretty typical) without reading these documents. It is irresponsible to hate that much based on so little information.

But you like the song!

Obama’s explanation is exactly the reason I had guessed at, and obviously I was right. “If the aide is not going, the visit will not be perceived as political” is such a laughably absurd thing to say that it really defies belief. How do you know it would not have been perceived as pollitical? You have no way to know that. Clearly, Obama thought that it would be, and it was perfectly reasonable for him to think that. If he had gone in without the aides, he might have been criticized for WANTING to go in with an aide, or for having PLANNED to go in with an aide.

I’ve known many five-year-olds who believe that if you do what you’re told to do, it’s impossible to get into trouble, but most have abandoned that naive and literalistic way of thinking long before they reach adulthood.

No “hehs” small or otherwise from me. With that last line you just proved my point. If refusing federal funding doesn’t make Obama virtuous, why would visiting soldiers without campaign aides stop the wingnuts from accusing him of playing politics? “I am not taking my aides with me, so my visit won’t be seen as political.” Heh! Yes? It’s funny, right? Can I get a small “heh”?

Do I also think Obama lied? Yes, I do. But I haven’t said it, until now, b/c it’s only speculation.

In this interview, Obama says:

1. We were scheduled to go
2. They said my aide could not go
3. It triggered concern that maybe my visit was going to be perceived as political.

Conflating 2 and 3 is a non sequitur, and therefore I don’t believe Obama when he says this was his thought process. If the aide is not going, the visit will not be perceived as political. End of story. You guys can believe him if you want to. I think this was the best explanation he could come up with, and I think it is weak. We’ve all heard 5 year olds do much better.

As to your rest:

-I agree we don’t really know what happened. And why is that?

-Obama called troops the next day, after the s@#$ storm had begun.

-I note your McCain points. Is it your allegation that McCain is uncaring about veterans? You can use facts to argue that Sen. McCain made unwise choices in particular cases, but – whether his choices were right or wrong – it seems harsh to argue his choices were motivated by lack of compassion.

-I note your “prioritize” point.

I counter that Obama is a United States Senator. He is unwise if he is counting on ever having more power than he has right now. Life is too iffy.

Further, even if Obama’s story about his political concern is correct (roll eyes here), it still means he chose his own political fortunes over fulfilling his promise. He is not covered in glory – though he did indulges his belief he can sell virtue in all his actions – in this case via saying(quoting from memory) “I didn’t want to distract from the wonderful care being provided to our troops.” Maybe we can at least laugh together about Barack and his selling of his own virtue in so many instances, i.e. I am refusing federal funding b/c I am so virtuous. Heh! Yes? It’s funny, right? Can I get a small “heh”?

As for Obama “lying” or not going in a fit of pique, that is YOUR speculation and has little to do with reality, IMO. We really don’t know what happened. Andrea Mitchell, who was traveling with the Obama campaign, said that Obama called and talked to the troops at Landstuhl privately so he is hardly the uncaring bastard of your narrative.

I would also point out that John McCain could be called “uncaring” for our troops when he voted NO on several Bills over the years that would have increased funding for the Veteran’s Administration and he voted NO 4xs on the Webb GI Bill giving returning Vets educational Opportunities until he was shamed into endorsing it.

Each Candidate must prioritize right now. There will be time for Obama to honor our troops when he is really in a position to help them…that is when he becomes President.

First, “Geaux Tigers!”.

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You wrote a thoughtful comment. Excepting the birth certificate and the 57 states assertions, I disagree with all the rest of it.

I reject your premise that the Landstuhl cancellation was meaningless. It spoke to character. Obama allowed pique to stop him from visiting wounded troops. Then Obama’s staff lied about the incident via accusing the Pentagon/Landstuhl of culpability for Obama’s own decision. Landstuhl was a revealing moment. B/c Obama has little track record, b/c everyone is trying to ascertain how he will operate as POTUS: such moments are notable.

Also, in your wondering/speculating about how Landstuhl suddenly rose up like a fast brush fire: b/c I and others believe the troops are heroes, and b/c we believe Obama and his staff were disrespectful to those heroes, we have personal, heated emotion attached to this particular incident.

tas,

Your assertion:

“You assholes will say anything against Obama no matter what he does — that’s the point.”

is simply wrong, and it’s a shame you do not know it. Your assertion allows you to dismiss all reasoning which does not closely conform to your own. As time goes by, your failure to consider challenging logic will only serve to make you dumber; will only serve to dull your ability to converse at a logical level; will leave you only armed with manure, ad hominem, and “asshole”. You will become, essentially, mattbastard. I hope you will fully consider these perils. We assholes serve an evolutionary purpose: we keep your enlightened big brain honed and toned, with synapses firing.

Certainly there are illogical, overemotional persons on all sides of all issues. However, most of us “assholes” are interested in truth – including truth about Obama – as opposed to slander.

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I said, in the 9:08 AM comment, Obama didn’t want to visit Landstuhl if he could not politically benefit. New information (in Kathy’s update and in other reports) points to pique as a possible reason for Obama’s cancelling the visit with wounded troops. I stand corrected.

Consider the nonsense about his “forged Birth Certificate,” or the fact that he was bone tired one time and accidentally referred to “57 States.” Then there are the rumors of his secret Islamism (beyond the incredible stupidity of the charge in face of Obama’s oft professed Christianity, is the sheer bigotry of it), and so forth. Almost never will you find a discussion of Obama’s Political Positions (I doubt if most right wing bloggers have bothered to read Obama’s proposals.) The latest “talking point” is McCain’s outrageous charge of Obama preferring to “lose” the War in Iraq in order to secure his Presidency.

The rational voter recognizes these attacks as being born of sheer desperation…especially as the Republican’s Candidate brings no new ideas to the table, and keeps pushing the same mantra of low taxes, deregulation, trickle down prosperity, and Free-Trade that has ill served this Country over the past 7 1/2 years. Beyond Bush 43, A larger point needs to be made by Progressives that the House of Cards that was Reagan’s Voo Doo economics has finally collapsed, and should not be resurrected. But how to convince the low information voter of that?

The more savvy Conservative mouthpieces know that to bring up substantive issues is to possibly expose that the McCain “Plan,” and indeed Reaganism, truly has no “there there,” that lower income taxes do not increase tax revenue, that favoring the rich shifts an undue tax burden onto the middle-class, that having almost 50 million people with little or no access to Health Care is simply bad, and down the road, costly Public Policy, and so forth. And so the Conservative hierarchy encourage the right wing bloggers to type on their merry way bringing up the extraneous and the ludacris knowing full well that the army of Conservative Zombies will buy it whole hog….