In an article dated May 27, 2008, titled “Assassination Chatter and the End of Legitimacy” David Bromwich of the Huffington Post wrote in part: “Legitimacy is the most elemental and elusive of political goods; a gift which only a society can give its leaders, and only the same society can take away.
To deprive a politician of legitimacy is long and serious work. A good deal of the process has always taken place behind the scenes before the evidence comes into view. We have seen a return this year to the politics of delegitimation by the extreme Republican right. Yet what has been most surprising is the complicity, and then the open participation in that process by the Clinton campaign.”
I believe that the Republicans and others that supports many of Bush's fail policies have mounted an effort to deprive Senator Barack Obama of his legitimacy in general and on the Iraq issue in particular. My belief is based on the following recent activity.
On May 23, 2008, Vets for Freedom posted a video titled “Senator Obama: Talk to Commanders or Meet with Dictators?” According to the official web site Vets for Freedom PAC is a Political Action Committee whose mission is to help candidates—mostly combat veterans—who believe in achieving success in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the overall War on Terrorism, get elected to the United States Congress and other Federal positions.
The transcript of the video reads: "Obama wasn't available to meet with us [combat veterans],But we weren't surprised. Because he hasn't once, sat down one-on-one with our in Iraq, Gen. Petraeus. Worse, he hasn't been to Iraq in two-and-a-half years. He's unwilling to get the facts on Iraq, yet he is willing to travel to Iran to meet with their leader or anyone else who hates our country... The question for America is, if Barack Obama won't listen to us, who will he listen to?"
Senators Lindsey Graham and Lieberman are listed on the Vets for Freedom’s website as honorary Policy Board Advisors.
On Sunday, May 25, 2008, Senator Lindsey Graham stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Senators McCain and Obama should travel to Iraq together. He suggested that both Senators meet with General Petraeus and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
On Monday, May 26, 2008, John McCain sharply criticized Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006, and said they should visit the war zone together.
On the May 26, 2008, Monday night edition of "Hannity & Colmes" Rich Lowry, was the guest co-host. Lowry and Colmes discussed the issue of Hillary getting out of the race with Townhall.com columnist Amanda Carpenter, the managing editor of RedState.com, Erick Erickson, and Keli Goff, political analyst.
The end of the rush transcript for the show records the following exchange:
LOWRY: “Well, of course, I mean, it's absolutely key in the heartland of the country.
Let me add real quickly, something that flared up today between McCain and Obama. McCain pointed out that Barack Obama hasn't visited Iraq since 2006. And conditions have radically changed over the last two years.
Do you think Obama knows what he's talking about when it comes to the Iraq war?"
CARPENTER: "Well, he — he can assume that he's been briefed on it. But we've heard that before about national intelligence estimates. I mean, the fact that Obama has only taken one trip to Iraq and he thinks that he's the one to see out of it, you know, I think he has homework to do. And maybe he should take some time off the campaign trail to visit our guys there.”
It is my belief that Bill and Hillary Clinton are active participants with those that are attempting to deprive Senator Barack Obama of his legitimacy on the Iraq issues. (My beleif is base of the appearance of an endorsement of Hillary by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.) In view of the above-mentioned belief the next voices that we will hear challenging and encouraging Obama to take a dangerous and unnecessary trip to Iraq will come from Senator Clinton’s campaign.
In a 2007 interview on Fox News with Van Susteren, Clinton stated that she has been to Iraq and Afghanistan on three occasions. She listed 2003, 2005, and 2007 as the years that she visited Iraq. Therefore, it will not surprise me if Hillary herself makes the visitation to Iraq by Obama an issue in the coming days.
Senator Barack Obama doesn’t have to go to Iraq to prove anything to those who what to defeat him or cause him harm. The voters in 38 of the 50 states have given Obama the gift of legitimacy and only the voters of this great nation can take it away from the next President of the United States of America - Barack Obama.
Vera Richardson is the author of “A Case of Racial Discrimination and Retaliation Real or Imagined." http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-images/0615177018/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all/gallery
3 comments:
Obama is the least qualified Presidential candidate in my lifetime. The media mercilessly mocked Dan Quayle when he ran for Vice-President, saying he was inexperienced and gaffe prone. In fact he was far more experienced and accomplished than Obama was as can be seen here: http://becauseimright-nocomme1.blogspot.com/2008/05/barack-youre-no-dan-quayle-and-no-thats.html
And gaffe-wise Obama is proving to be a regular gaffe-bomb as this partial list shows http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MWZjY2YzZWVkMjdkMDEzMGQ0MjJkNTUyN2FkNmMzYTc=
You have to wade through all of that before you even get to the fact that he is the most far-left candidate since McGovern and is far, far out of the American mainstream. The fact that the media has been giving this socialist lightweight such a pass is one of the great journalistic disgraces of our time (and that's saying a lot).
Thanks for your comment.
Obama is as qualified and as educated at Bill and Hillary Clinton. He is also as qualified for the Presidency as former President Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush Sr. and the current President Bush.
Article Two of the United States Constitution establishes the qualifications required to become president. The above-mentioned articles states that the president must be (1) natural-born citizens, (2) at least thirty-five years old, and (3) must have been a resident in the United States for at least fourteen years. (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia)
As a race African-Americans have been told that we are not qualified for positions of power. We have been denied positions that a review of the qualifications for those positions reveals that we are as qualified as all of the other applicants. Additionally, our life experiences, as African-Americans living and coping in this county gives us skills that prepares us for the world.
Vera:
I'm a little surpised by your comments. When conversationally speaking about presidential qualifications who actually means the minimum constitutional and legal qualifications? Of course Obama is constitutionally qualified. So are over 200 million other Americans. The waitress at the last restaurant you went to has that level of qualification. So does that mentally challenged young man who passed you on the street the other day. Is THAT your sole criteria for presidential acceptability?
When I'm speaking about qualifications I'm talking about how much and what kind of experience a person has had, what has he accomplished, what kind of judgement has he or she shown?
Using that criteria every one of the Presidents you named was more qualified when they assumed office than Obama is.
Dan Quayle was mocked as being a lightweight when he was chosen to be Bush's VP. And as the link from my ealier comment proves Quayle was far more experienced, had more legislative accomplishments, worked with the other party more than Obama ever has. Dan Quayle also made far fewer gaffes.
I think it is condescending and racist of the media to go easier on Obama than they ever did on Quayle. If Dan Quayle was a lightweight then Barack Obama is a featherweight.
Obama is the least accomplished man to get a major party nomination that I'm aware of.
Oh, and his race has nothing to do with it. He's not unqualified because he's Black. He's unqualified because he has no resume.
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