Profiles In Courage (Self-Portrait Sub-Division)

This is pretty funny - in a recent speech Obama practically separates his shoulder patting himself on the back for entering the lion's den and, in a Detroit speech from May 2007, telling automakers they need to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleets:

"We're going to have do what I did when I went to Detroit and told the automakers that they're going to have to raise fuel-efficiency standards on cars. We can make more efficient cars right here in the United States. There's no way they have to be made in Japan. But, it requires that Detroit changes its ways. And I have to say that when I delivered that speech, nobody clapped. The room was really quiet. But that's OK, because that's part of what is the task of the next president."

There are just a couple of problems - the video of the Detroit speech is available, and in reality Obama was interrupted by applause at that point in the speech.  And why might he have been interrupted?  Well, Obama came laden with carrots as well as sticks; this is from the WaPo account of the Detroit speech:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) yesterday proposed federal assistance to help U.S. automakers cover the cost of their retired workers' health benefits if the companies invest in technology to improve their vehicles' fuel efficiency.

In a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, the Democratic presidential candidate offered a plan to ease the pain of U.S. automakers even as he reiterated support for higher fuel-efficiency standards.

...

Obama proposed that the government pay for 10 percent of domestic automakers' health-care costs for retired workers through 2017 if the firms plow half the savings into equipment for making more efficient cars and trucks. Obama's campaign estimates that this would cost taxpayers roughly $7 billion over the next 10 years.

In addition, Obama proposed tax incentives for retooling auto assembly plants and the extension of tax credits for hybrid vehicles beyond the current 60,000-cars-per-manufacturer limit. His campaign put the 10-year cost of his plan at $20 billion and said it would be covered by auctioning greenhouse gas permits under a cap-and-trade program that Obama also supports.

Let's hear it for taxpayer subsidies!  Greg Mankiw was scathing; the NY Times was laudatory, and barely mentioned the carrot part of the Obama speech.  However, they included this:

Despite Mr. Obama’s sometimes harsh words Monday, the diverse audience interrupted him 10 times for applause. “I think it took a lot of courage to come to Detroit and lay it on the line,” said Peter Eckstein, a retired labor union economist from Ann Arbor, Mich.

He's a hero!  And I know it's true because I read it in the Times.

MORE:  The LA Times blog also has this, and also connects it to the Hillary-Bosnia story.  Do we detect the dark power of Sidney Blumenthal?

Comments

[Pofarmer]

It seems that the market is about to force automakers into developing fuel efficient cars. My uncle is a used car dealer, and he says they have sold more small cars in the last 3 months than in the last 2 YEARS. As usual, govt is the Johnny come Lately, padding the pockets of those who have done nothing.

[BumperStickerist]

In Barack's defense, what I heard was the sort of desultry hand-slapping that Michiganders are famous for.

To us it might sound like "clapping", but Barack Obama recognized it for what it *really* was.

As for Michelle Obama and her role in the campaign - I think it helps Barack look *more* presidential. After all, he's got years of experience speaking truth to glower.

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[BumperStickerist]

secondary - slightly off-topic question for Tom and/or any other smart person:

Michelle and Barack have talked about their student loans - my question is whether they refinanced their student debt at a lower rate at some point after they graduated.
Is that something easily checked? Any ivy league types do something like that?
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[kim]

I agree with the Bosnia link. History is how Obama remembers it, as through a mind darkly wasted.
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[clarice]

A profile in courage would be the recognition that while conservation is nice, hitting on Detroit is not as significant as say exploiting our own petro sources and in any event it is providing diminishing returns unless we do the wartime Europe thing of canvas sided vehicles.

[Pofarmer]

unless we do the wartime Europe thing of canvas sided vehicles

Some of the stuff being proposed is pretty darn close to that.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

A profile in courage would note that the proposed changes in CAFE standards will kill a few thousand per year and conclude with a promise that his children will ride only in vehicles which exceed the CAFE standards by 30%.

He's ready to make any sacrifice, as long as it's other people's money and other people's children.

[Gmax]

Limosine liberals get out of the limosine only to make speeches or to climb onto the private Lear Jet. It has been this way since at least young Teddy Keenedy ran for President and I doubt it will change any time. What is good for the masses just aint that great for the betters.

[RichatUF]

Didn't McCain go to the belly of the beast in Detroit and sneer at the US auto industry during the Michigan primary?

Also, don't Toyota, Honda, and Nissan (the major Japanese manufacturers) all have major US assembly plants (hummmm I'm thinking Kentucky?)

Isn't Ford really green and environmentist already?

Yes-a profile in courage...

[Danube of Thought]

Nissan is heavily engaged in Tennesse.

[MayBee]

Also, don't Toyota, Honda, and Nissan (the major Japanese manufacturers) all have major US assembly plants (hummmm I'm thinking Kentucky?)

Yeah, a profile in courage would have been Obama pointing out to the UAW that those plants are all successful and non-union, and perhaps Detroit's problem is partly union related.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

The U of Chicago just announced:

The University of Chicago is establishing a center for path-breaking research in economics to build upon the strengths of economists throughout the University and to honor the contributions of Milton Friedman, considered by many to be the leading economist of the 20th century.

....

“The goal of the Institute is to build on the University’s existing leadership position and make the Milton Friedman Institute a primary intellectual destination for economics by creating a robust forum for engagement of our faculty and students with scholars and policymakers from around the world,” said President Robert J. Zimmer. “The Milton Friedman Institute will continue Chicago’s extraordinary tradition of creating new ideas that stimulate the academic world and innovative approaches that influence policy.”

I'd suggest an invitation to Obama to teach him about the disastrous ideas of the 1970s that Friedman exposed for the nonsense they were. Ideas that Obama is resurrecting.

[Pofarmer]

One thing Toyota enthusiasts like to point out is that there is more US built parts in the Toyota pickups than in the GM and Ford built ones.

[Pofarmer]

Ideas that Obama is resurrecting

It's not that those idea's were wrong, they just weren't applied properly.

[Chris]

Why is he only proposing to pay for 10% of the automakers health care costs? Why not 100%? Si, si puede!

That really did take courage when he's running around the country offering to take care of everything for everyone. Detroit gets 10%? It's a wonder he made it out of town with that kind of tough talk.

[Danube of Thought]

Well, the guy wants to tax us all so as to give the money to the UN to distribute globally. Why shouldn't we pay for the fat pensions of the UAW?

[Rick Ballard]

Off Topic,

Patterico has busted the LAT as well as I've ever seen it done. Please read about the Pellicano - Phillips connection and reflect a moment about the concept of "shield" laws for journalists.

[mbeexx]

About the Obama loans. Where they for college or were they for law school? They shouldn't be complaining about loans if they didn't have to get the college loans that have burdened a lot of young people.

[RichatUF]

What the hell? Seems that the BHO campaign is getting a special rapporteur from the UN to us all how racist we are. I'm sure his profile in courage will be to embrace the brave, courageous findings because the UN is holding a mirror up to our faces.

I'm really starting to get disgusted by all this.

[Gmax]

Rich

All those millions we send to the UN and you expect that they will get spent on the Manhattan parking tickets? Seriously, bureacracies have committee and commissions and they issue studies and white papers.

This same dufus, according to the article found that Islamaphobia had risen after 9/11. Isn't a phobia by definition an irrational fear? What irrational about not wanting to get blown up on your way to work in the morning?

Blame this all on the Democrats via Woodrow Wilson. The UN grew out of the same thinking that today argues appeasement just has not been given a fair chance...

[bio mom]

Just read on the NYTimes on-line site that the UN is sending human rights reps to the US to study racism here!! They said it was at the invitation of the government, whatever that means. State department? Nancy Pelosi? John Conyers? Who??? I hope this nonsense backfires right on to Obama. Nothing gets my ire up like outside organizations or other countries trying to influence our elections. Nothing.

[Rick Ballard]

Rich,

Perhaps the UN rapporteur is going to investigate racist causation for the 90% support level for BHO among blacks?

What else could it be?

[Neo]

Is Larry speaking with "fork-ed tougue" ?

I now have it from three sources close to senior Republicans that they have video dynamite–Michelle Obama railing against “whitey” at Jeremiah Wright’s church.

No wonder Barry has no memory of the church goings-ons.

[Jane]

So why aren' t they playing said video?

[MayBee]

I'm listening to Obama whine right now.

Whine whine whine.
Nobody is allowed to say anything bad that I might construe to be about me.

[Neo]

So why aren' t they playing said video?

And let Hiliary continue ?

[Jane]

I'm all for Hillary continuing.

Maybee, I'm watching too - the man is an unmitigated liar.

[Rick Ballard]

"So why aren' t they playing said video?"

Why should Reps carry the ball for Red Witch? If she can't get her stiletto in all by her little lonesome then she can assign the task to Lanny Davis or Paul Begala. It's not as if she lacks sycophants - hell, NOW or Emily's List could do it for her.

[Gmax]

Sid Blumenthal. Right up his alley.

[MayBee]

He is, Jane.

This traces back to last week when Dr Susan Rice tried to say that Obama had never said he would meet foreign heads of state unconditionally and without precondition. Of course that's exactly what he has said he'd do.

So he took what Bush said about appeasement and tried to make it about him so he could refute that. He wants people to forget what he's really been criticized for.

[Rick Ballard]

Being an unmitigated liar never slowed Bubba (or RW) down by as much as a half step. The problem is that Prince BHO is a bad (in the unbelievable sense) liar. He can fake sincerity pretty well, not as well as Bubba, but pretty well but that will not be enough to cover the very clumsy lying.

It's going to raise his negatives into RW territory.

[Jane]

It's on his website - last night Charles Krauthammer commented that his agreement to meet with Iran was a gaffe which got codified by his own refusal to admit that he made a mistake. And now he is stuck with it.

[vnjagvet]

The BHO comments today, and Susan Rice's attacks yesterday nauseated me.

The notion that the President of the United States who is not campaigning for anything needs to "watch his words" for fear of offending a presidential candidate with whom he disagrees on foreign policy is outrageously presumtuous.

Haughty doesn't come close to describing this silliness.

[Topsecretk9]

Posted by: Neo | May 16, 2008 at 12:16 PM

Neo, Scary doesn't exactly have a sterling record when it comes to backing up his outrageous claims with "contacts that are in a position to know" ala 22 indictments, Karl Rove was indicted yada yada. He's got a track record of dropping these to his choir to keep the lap dogs on board. And they keep coming for more no matter all his for certain claims have NEVER panned out.

That said, if there were a bombshell video of Michelle bemoaning "whitey" than reading Larry's set-up that the GOP have it and are waiting is another way for Larry lie, that Hillary has the video and it strategically trying to release it blaming GOP in order to avoid the inevitable blowback.

I mean, come on. Larry has sources inside the GOP telling a Hillary zealot their october surprise plans at the same time Hillary's vaunted Oppo research fell down on the job and let the GOP unearth this apparently public domain bombshell?

Uh huh.

[MayBee]

And now he is stuck with it.

Yeah, so it's "look over there! Bush made an unprecedented attack on ME ME ME in Israel"
Forget newly announced Obama superdelegate David Bonior standing in Iraq on the eve of the war and saying that Bush is lying.
Forget Murtha calling for the withdrawl of US Troops in Iraq while Bush was traveling in Asia so his whole (successful) trip was overshadowed by reporters asking Bush about that.

Why couldn't he just say, "I, too, believe appeasing terrorists is a terrible idea".

[Rick Ballard]

"Why couldn't he just say, "I, too, believe appeasing terrorists is a terrible idea". "

There's no evidence that he believes any such thing. There is evidence on the laptops recovered in Colombia from the FARC people who met a real live Predator which implies that yet another terrorist group has high hopes for a BHO Presidency.

Hamas, the Palis and FARC all believe that BHO is on the Shining Path. Perhaps reason is on their side?

[MayBee]

too true, Rick.

[Gmax]

Top

The simple thing for me is Scary Larry having three Republican friends. I know, I know, we get David Gergen trotted out all the time too as a "Conservative" so that words have the meaning that the user assigns to them. Orwell was definitely right. But Larry has lied before and is more than a little out of touch with reality on many occasions so the safe bet would be, Hillary has the video and is trying to build a meme for the bad ol Republicans trying to swift boat another earnest Democrat. A 2 fer as far as Bubba and his one time consort are concerned.

[hit and run]

Well, as long as the trip down memory lane revolves around that Detroit speech might as well take this little detour...

Do as I say, not as I do

I know, I know ... It's just a distraction.

[Danube of Thought]

By way of background, in a personal e-mail to me Larry assured me that he had three independent sources confirming that Rove had been secretly indicted on May 13, 2006. He said the same three sources confirmed the mystery meeting at the offices of Rove's lawyers, where the secret service came in and cleared the entire floor where the meeting took place to discuss a Rove plea deal.

If that video exists and the GOP has it, maybe they're waiting for the nomination to be formally concluded before they let it slip. If it is as decribed, I think it would settle the election decisively: she would not be allowed to become First Lady. If they let it out now, even the craven superdelegates would have no choice but to dump Obama in Hillary's favor.

[clarice]

Gosh, Hit, how could I have forgotten that opus?

[kim]

What, really, are the chances Michelle has not so raved? What, further, are the chances she wasn't taped in this YouTube age? Isn't it pitiful, though, that we hang so on every little Scary delusion, er rather, ugly selfish twist on events?
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[Mike G in Corvallis]

The notion that the President of the United States who is not campaigning for anything needs to "watch his words" for fear of offending a presidential candidate with whom he disagrees on foreign policy is outrageously presumtuous.

My wife had the TV on this morning, and a political ad for a local Democrat candidate came on. (Oregon's primary election is next Tuesday.) They flashed a scary-looking, black-and-white photo of his opponent on the screen, and informed viewers, in big block letters, that this awful Republican should not be elected because he INSULTED BARACK OBAMA. (No explanation, of course. To charge is to convict.)

I've got a bad feeling about all this. If Obama gets in, I wouldn't be surprised if the government and the media (same thing?) built up a "cult of personality" around him worthy of Comrade Stalin or Chairman Mao.

[MayBee]

Jane- did you watch the whole thing?
What a disaster.
He will meet without preconditions, but with preparations. He cannot believe his words are being misconstrued, when he has put his position out so clearly.

Yikes.

[clarice]

I watched part of it. He's stupid and arrogant and way over his head.

[MayBee]

The people of SD saw it too, clarice. They kept asking him clarifying questions and he really struggled to answer coherently.

MSNBC will edit him so he makes a good point.
In reality, he sounded like this http://wonkette.com/tag/fred-armisen/>Fred Armisen character on Saturday Night Live.

[vnjagvet]

You are so right, Clarice. But he is a more dangerous demagogue than BJ Bill is in his worst days.

The media and academic establishment have truly found their ideal in this genuinely bi-racial man who can be whatever you want him to be.

Sort of a real life bi-racial Chauncey Gardner (admittedly, with a bit more than rice pudding between his ears).

The media and academic world eat up BHO's fighting the Bush Administration, and his attempts to tie McCain to its EEEEEEEEvil policies.

This will be a long election season without something like Larry's (possibly fake) turd in the punchbowl to liven things up.

[Neo]

"Crazy Larry" now says he has 4 sources for his Michelle spouts out on "whitey" video story.

So far no one seems to have seen the video, so it remains in the "rumour" category for now.

[Neo]

Just how would it go down if, instead of Hiliary or the GOP, Rev. Wright released the tape ?

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent minister ?"

[applewetrust]

their names We need snapping the wild then. along into the yard, up across tree

[kim]

Hey pomme de terror; Seixon si, Saxon non!
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