Barack Versus Barack On Iraq

Yesterday Amir Taheri of the NY Post made news [and followed up] with the allegation that Barack Obama, during his fact-finding tour to Iraq in July, had interjected himself into negotiations with Iraq:

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

The Obama campaign a baffling "denial" which some keen observers noted did not seem to deny much:

But Obama's national security spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Taheri's article bore "as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial."

In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

In the face of resistance from Bush, the Democrat has long said that any such agreement must be reviewed by the US Congress as it would tie a future administration's hands on Iraq.

"Barack Obama has never urged a delay in negotiations, nor has he urged a delay in immediately beginning a responsible drawdown of our combat brigades," Morigi said.

Now, this could actually be meaningful if taken at face value.  The US has been negotiating two related agreements with Iraq: the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) replaced the UN mandate under which US forces would operate until Dec 31 2008, and covered such issues as aspirational time horizons and conditions-based withdrawals; the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) covered broader issues between the two countries (CNN, LA Times, C Rice).  (Unsurprisingly, Congress would like to have a role in this process.)

So if Obama could convincingly argue that he was asking the Iraqis to go slow on the Strategic Framework Agreement while moving full speed ahead on the Status of Forces Agreement, his rebuttal to the Taheri story would mean something.

But is such a claim plausible?  Well, it sets Obama against Obama - here is what we see at his website, with my emphasis:

The Status-of-Forces-Agreement

Obama believes any Status of Forces Agreement, or any strategic framework agreement, should be negotiated in the context of a broader commitment by the U.S. to begin withdrawing its troops and forswearing permanent bases. Obama also believes that any security accord must be subject to Congressional approval. It is unacceptable that the Iraqi government will present the agreement to the Iraqi parliament for approval—yet the Bush administration will not do the same with the U.S. Congress. The Bush administration must submit the agreement to Congress or allow the next administration to negotiate an agreement that has bipartisan support here at home and makes absolutely clear that the U.S. will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq.

The SOFA and SFA are both distinguished and mingled in this passage.  Is SOFA included in the "any" security accord which must be subject to US approval?  Presumably, since other evidence indicates Congress wants a role in this.  And since US troops levels and withdrawal timelines can be governed by SOFA (see anonymous Iraqi official here), doesn't it follow that Obama was comfortable having the next Administration negotiate it so as to avoid permanent bases?

And if Obama thinks the SOFA should only be negotiated in the context of a broader commitment to withdraw (presumably covered in the Framework) and is asking the Iraqis to go slow on the Framework, doesn't it follow that he is looking for them to slow down on the SOFA?

Beyond that, the press report of Obama's denial also jumbles SOFA and SFA - let's focus on this:

In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

The future of US forces was certainly being discussed in the SOFA as well as the Strategic Framework, so this certainly creates an opportunity for misunderstanding, at a minimum.  Or maybe this is bum reporting.

If Obama simply read to an Iraqi official the words on his website then this reporting from Taheri would be reasonable, so I'll repeat it for emphasis:

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

At a minimum I think Obama has been caught reading his campaign literature to foreign negotiators, which may have led to confusion.

MORE:  Background on other SOFAs.  This is thought-provoking:

SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part
of a comprehensive security arrangement with a particular country. A SOFA itself does not constitute a security arrangement; rather, it establishes the rights and privileges of U.S. personnel present in a country in support of the larger security arrangement.

From that alone one might plausibly argue that the SOFA would normally cover the legal status of US forces and the Framework would cover strategic issues such as military bases, therefore clarifying Obama's blurry website.  However...

There has been considerable interest in possible future security agreements
between the United States and Iraq. The Administration has indicated that it intends to enter into two distinctive agreements. The first is a non-binding security agreement, and the second is a U.S.-Iraq SOFA. The SOFA may be unique from other SOFAs concluded by the United States in that it may contain authorization by the host government — the government of Iraq — for U.S. forces to engage in military operations within Iraq.

Permission to operate within Iraq was going to a part of this SOFA, and eventually aspirational timelines were included as well.  That blurs the line between status and strategy.

UPDATE:  This story is lifting off - a follow from Taheri, and I should have more.

Comments

[kim]

String him up. He'd as soon have Americans die as not.
===================================

[kim]

That's a metaphorical 'string', of course. Hang him high from the polls.
==================================

[jimmyk]

If Barack met with Iraqi leaders and characterized the Bush administration as "in a state of weakness and confusion," that strikes me as borderline treasonous.

But I think we should all focus more on Sarah Palin's discussions with the Wasilla librarian.

[sbw]

Kim, we'll have no high-tech lynching around here while I'm sheriff of these here parts.

[Sue]

Wasilla librarian...pheh!...we are on to bigger and better things...tanning beds, bought and paid for by Palin herself. How. Dare. She.

The Bush Administration will not touch this with a 10 foot poll. Hopefully, McCain will.

[clarice]

macsmind suggests several Congressmen are considering seeking a Logan Act violation investigation.

[Neo]

I don't think I've ever seen such a look of misery and dejection on the face of my daughter as I just did a moment ago. She just couldn't understand why Sen. Barack Obama would undermine the efforts of the Executive branch of the United States government in possible violation of the Logan Act and thereby possibly endangering every citizen of this country. "Even my Grandpa?" she asked pitifully.

I sat down with her on the sofa and (as calmly as I could) tried to explain to her why Sen. Barack Obama has rushed to judgment and undermine the security of every citzen of the United States, past and present. "And yes honey, even Grandpa", I was forced to say.

I tried to keep my voice steady, but it became increasingly difficult - the rage and feelings of helplessness were just too much. I think my daughter could tell something was wrong. I found myself at such a loss for words - nothing made any sense; nothing makes sense anymore. I finally had to admit, "Honey, I just don't know - I don't know what's going on in this country anymore..."

When I finished her lower lip started to tremble and her eyes began to fill with tears, "Daddy" she said, "why are the Democrats doing this to the country?" Well, that was it for me: I finally fell apart. She just fell into my arms and we both began sobbing for several minutes.

For once she had to comfort me and get me back on my feet. Sometimes I just think it's too much, but seeing the strength in my young daughter's voice helped me to get through.

[Semanticleo]

How 'bout McCain Vs. Bush (seems like an oxymoron) as to ECONOMICS...............

It would be instructive to know how they differ as to, you know, 'it's the economy, stupid'.

Everyone has been made quite aware of your opinion of Obama.

[Neo]

Sorry for "template 2A", but I really wonder if Barack Obama really thinks the Iraqis are so stupid to believe that they guy, who only 2 years ago was willing to leave them to kill each other, will be more likely to give them a "better deal" ?

[bad]

Neo

You're killing me. Too funny...

[Danube of Thought]

Michael Crowley, awash in flop-sweat at the New Republic:

"I disagree with many of his sub-points, but Russ Smith touches on an emerging storyline: the certain combination of acute anger, despair and bitterness on the left if McCain's late comeback snatches victory away from Obama in the homestretch of this incredibly long and intense campaign. The response to Kerry's defeat was muted by the fact that few liberals were especially smitten with him to begin with. But the fallout this time could be pretty raw stuff. And that doesn't even factor in the guaranteed, sure-to-be-vicious debate about whether the Clintons are to blame or were the only way to avoid such an outcome."

Oh, let it all begin in earnest! It's going to displace the NFL as my favorite spectator sport later this Fall.

[Semanticleo]

In honor of the purposeful disinformation perpetrated on Al Gore.............

Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry.

"He did this," Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters this morning, holding up his BlackBerry. "Telecommunications of the United States is a premier innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce committee so you're looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080916/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_blackberry

[clarice]

It's tightening up DoT--I hope your prediction holds. Nothing I'd like better than drinking myself silly with you in DC to celebrate.

[Danube of Thought]

Clarice, was it you who said Pelosi was torpedoing Rangel? Whoever it was appears to have been on the money...

[Enlightened]

"Oh, let it all begin in earnest! It's going to displace the NFL as my favorite spectator sport later this Fall."

It's begun - even the nurooters are starting to feed on themselves.

[bad]

even the nurooters are starting to feed on themselves.

Even cannabalism has its appealing moments...

[PeterUK]

Al Gore - Lehman Bros and Global warming. Throw in Hanson for good measure and you have a real scandal.

[DebinNC]

Jim Hu at Althouse identified the authors of the quotes in Obama's newest ad calling McCain dishonorable, vile, and sleazy:

First cite: Time (Joe Klein)
Second cite: WaPo (E.J. Dionne)
Third cite:New Republic (Orr) Christopher Orr is the TNR's film critic.
Fourth: CBS news(Benen). Not sure, but I think this is the Steve Benen who posts at HuffPo and Political Animal
Fifth: Chicago Tribune (James). I don't know anything about Frank James, but it's the hometown paper,
Sixth: Dionne again.

I guess the response, if any, will be that they weren't referring to McCain but only McCain's campaign. Uh huh.

[PeterUK]

"even the nurooters are starting to feed on themselves.

Even cannabalism has its appealing moments..."

The orcs have always fed on each other.

[matt]

Re: Logan Act

Can we include Jimmy Carter in that investigation too? How about our good buddy Jay Rockefeller?

[DebinNC]

Re the Dems wanting to remove Rangel from his chairman seat, conservatives should follow Biden's advice: "Let's all stand up for Chuck."

[Captain Hate]

Btw, here's the always entertaining Russ Smith's article referenced in the TNR comments. LUN

[matt]

Leo;

As a member of the Commerce committee, McCain would have had to do with a lot more than just telecom deregulation. And Obama's counter?

[Barney Frank]

Yeah, I read Obama's 'denial' over at Hotair and actually had to reread it a couple of times to make sure I wasn't missing a 'not' or 'didn't' in the middle of that second paragraph.
That he didn't distinguish between them previously (not unreasonably) but does now when he's caught is just another confirmation of his slippery nature.

If we give him the benefit of the doubt we are simply traveling down one of his rabbit trails. Is it somehow proper for him to advocate delaying one but not the other? Any agreement made by a president in some way binds those who follow whether it needs congressional approval or not. There is no end to the mischief granting him his argument would lead to for both Dems and Repubs.

[Jane]

OT:

MA has a primary election today.

I went. On the republican ballot there were 6 races - well not really races because only 2 republicans were on the ballot, both unopposed. No republicans were contending for the other spots.

Amy got a democrat ballot - you can choose here if you are a registered independent, and she got to vote for Kerry's democrat challenger.

~~~

Obama's Iraq follies need to make their way to the MSM. But how?

[Sue]

Neo,

LOL.

[clarice]

I think I said she'd called him in for a meeting last night. The Rangel thing is certainly hurting them esp in NY where O is winning (per the polls) by only 5 points.

[Neo]

following PeterUK ..

This is a company [Lehman Brothers] which had on its board, or so we are told, the ultimate snake oil salesman, James Hansen, the self-same company having ambitions of becoming "the primary brokerage for emission permits".

Somehow, it is entirely fitting that a company which was looking to exploit the smoke and mirrors business of carbon trading should crash and burn.

Lehman Brothers .. died because of AGW .. who knew ?

Are government employees allowed to sit on private sector boards ?

[Sue]

Obama's Iraq follies need to make their way to the MSM. But how?

McCain. His campaign needs to do a quick ad. The only time MSM discusses Obama in a negative light is when they are discussing it in reference to a McCain ad.

[ben]

"Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee"

Hmm, Semanticleo admits McCain was Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee...and Obama's knowledge of economics is based on what? Hope and Change? I understand someone can support Obama on ideological grounds, if you are a Socialist for example, but it beats me how you can expose yourself to such ridicule and actually write that you think Obama is better prepared than McCain on ANY substantive matter. Rasmussen yesterday showed that 44% think Obama is qualified to be President, a surprisingly high number considering the evidence (showing how partisan we have become, only about 10% of Obama's supporters recognize he is not qualified).

[centralcal]

Re: The Logan Act.

Folks over at NRO think it will never happen because the Act itself is very flawed.

A McCain ad is probably the best we can hope for.

[RichatUF]

Neo-

I looked it up and don't think it is true. He might have been friends with some of them and the board might have funded his work though.

[centralcal]

"...the certain combination of acute anger, despair and bitterness on the left if McCain's late comeback snatches victory away from Obama in the homestretch of this incredibly long and intense campaign."

Oh, I hope and pray for that victory! And, can the left become even more acutely angry, despairng, and bitter that they have been the past many years? Is that possible without being locked away in an asylum?

[SWarren]

Obama’s Foul Weather Friends

LUN

[Porchlight]

OT,

So we now have two polls, Marist and Quinnipiac, putting Obama at only +3 in New Jersey. Quinnipiac, which has the largest samples of any of the NJ polls and is also LV, had him +6 in early June and +10 in early August.

RCP New Jersey

Not saying this means NJ is going to go red - other NJ polls still have Obama further ahead. But the shift in direction means that at minimum this is one more data point on the Discouraged Democrats curve.

[bad]

SWarren thank you for yet another great link. There is new info in that article regarding CAC.

[Ranger]

Well, at least McCain knows what committees he is on. And he even holds hearings of the subcommittee he chairs! Obama has spent so little time actually working as a Senator, he thinks he's on committees that he isn't, and can't be bothered to actually schedual meetings of the subcommittee he is chair of. But hey, its not like the NATO subcommittee is really important. Its not like NATO is having problems fighting the war in Afgahnistan or anything.

[Neo]

(CNN) — It appears Barack Obama's teleprompter is hitting the campaign trail.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

BHO's economic speech today is a demagogues delight.

Unsurprisingly, he is talking out of both sides of his mouth. There is a reason he had the teleprompter.

He is reading a policy speech with a laundry list of stuff, much of which is inconsistent.

He is deriding McCain's vow to appoint a commission.

This is his OODA moment.

It is wonky but might work if McCain cannot shoot holes in it.

His main problem here is his record as a taker of money from Lehman, Fanny and Freddie.

Here is some of what he says:

"I've spent my career taking on lobbyists."

"I put an end to free rides on fancy jets."

"Washington Lobbyists do not fund my campaign, and will not run my White House"

[Neo]

I don't think I've ever seen such a look of misery and dejection on the face of my daughter as I just did a moment ago. She just couldn't understand why Barack Obama would make her teacher tell her all boys and men have penises and some like them better than girls. "Even my Grandpa?" she asked pitifully.

I sat down with her on the sofa and (as calmly as I could) tried to explain to her why Barack Obama has forced her to deal with gay sex, "No honey, your Grandpa is a real womanizer. Almost as much as Bill Clinton.", I was forced to say.

I tried to keep my voice steady, but it became increasingly difficult - the rage and feelings of helplessness were just too much. I think my daughter could tell something was wrong. I found myself at such a loss for words - nothing made any sense; nothing makes sense anymore. Billy Has Two Daddies, Heather Has two Mommies. I finally had to admit, "Honey, I just don't know - I don't know what's going on in this country anymore..."

Ooopsss. Darn this FireFox.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I think I would want a tanning bed if I lived somewhere it stayed dark 18 or more hours a day for many months of the year.

Not only did she buy it with her own money, she bought it used.

Did you see Greta's interview with Todd Palin last night? I loved the part where she is remarking on the beauty of the property where the Palin house is located with a view of the lake and the mountains. She asked Todd how long they'd lived there and he answered 6 years. She then turned the camera toward the house and asked a question in which Todd answered that he and a few of his buddies got together and built it about 6 years ago.

A hunk of an athletic guy who gets together with his buddies and builds his family their house -- be still my heart.

Here's One Thing That Makes Todd And Sarah Palin Different... Their Home

[SWarren]

Yes Bad, I thought you might find the CAC part interesting

~SNIP~

Ayers now uses his academic position and political connections to promote his theories of "progressive" education, a topic on which he has authored several books. In 1995, Ayers co-founded the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a radical education reform project created to award grants to Chicago schools and "education networks." The grant-making non-profit handed out well over $100 million between 1995 and 2001, but failed to measurably improve the Chicago school system. Where all the money went may never be determined, but some of it was used to fund projects run by Ayers' radical friends.

For example, $175,000 went to former SDSer Mike Klonsky, who until recently was also a blogger at Obama's official campaign website. Before reinventing himself as an educator, Klonsky founded an American Maoist communist sect that worked with the Chinese communists. Among the organizations receiving funding from CAC were the community action group ACORN, the Arab American Action Network, Bernadine Dohrn's Children and Family Justice Center, and Trinity United Church, home base of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The man Ayers and his friends chose as CAC's first board chairman was a little-known 33-year old associate at a small Chicago law firm, Barack Obama. Ayers himself co-chaired CAC's other operational arm, the "Collaborative." Ayers and Obama held their respective positions for more than four years, working closely together during that time. They also served together on the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago for three years.

Their association extended beyond working hours. In 1995, Obama launched his first political campaign, for the Illinois State Senate, at Ayers and Dohrn's home in Hyde Park. In 1997, Obama endorsed Ayers' book on juvenile justice, and Michelle Obama hosted a panel discussion of the book in which Ayers and Barack Obama participated.

However, when asked to describe their relationship during the Philadelphia primary debate last April, Barack Obama recalled Ayers merely as "a guy who lives in my neighborhood."

Suppressing the evidence

Obama has been less than forthcoming with information that might shed light on these close associations in his past. Until quite recently, researchers have been blocked from accessing the document archives of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, now held at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This delay has provided ample time to review and quite possibly sanitize the contents. When Klonsky was identified online earlier this year, all his posts at Obama's website were instantly deleted. Documentation concerning many aspects of Obama's life remains unavailable, including papers from his time in college and law school, medical records, law firm clients, and files as an Illinois State Senator.

Obama's campaign attorney has tried to suppress a TV ad that calls attention to his connection with Ayers, threatening the broadcast licenses of TV station managers and calling for the Justice Department to prosecute those who produced and financed the ad.

Throughout his life, Barack Obama has selected his mentors from the ranks of those who despise the United States. This common thread connects Hawaiian Communist Party organizer Frank Marshall Davis, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright ("God bless America? No, no... God DAMN America!") and the former Weatherman leaders, Ayers and Dohrn.

Did Ayers, Dohrn and their fellow domestic terrorists ever give up their revolutionary goal of destroying the "imperialist" America they hate? Or have they simply substituted new tools for the bombs and violence that were once the measure of their commitment?

[Ranger]

"Washington Lobbyists do not fund my campaign, and will not run my White House"

Posted by: Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet | September 16, 2008 at 12:44 PM

Well, the easy way to counter that is to point out that the very people who ran Fannie and Country Wide into the ground are top Obama economic advisors. His administration will be run by people to already destoryed Fannie and Country Wide.

[Neo]

To get back on TM subject ..

the banality of Team Obama never ceases to amaze me.

While they are busy having their surrogates push the "Big Lie", Team Obama pushes the "Big Banal Lie" with a twist of Professor Erwin Corey .. all the is old is new again .. because he said so (in a deranged sort of way).

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Kos To Kossacks: We Haven't Been Scummy Enough!

The head Kossack has spoken: the way to help Obama win is to be as disgusting as possible.

I'm not about to revert to writing puff pieces about Obama thinking that his magic "new politics" bullshit will carry us to victory. He may or may not believe that crap, but I don't. We're going to win this thing the way campaigns are won -- by playing hardball. Politics is a blood sport. Republicans understand this and never flinch from flinging the shit. We won't win until we learn to fight back in kind. And I'm more than happy to get down in the mud with our friends on the Right so Obama doesn't have to.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Here's (speaking of mortgages) Austan Goolsbee (Obama's economic advisor) on why the loosening of mortgage rules was a good thing.

In 2007, of course.

[PeterUK]

Obama is suffering from premature administration.

[bad]

Among the organizations receiving funding from CAC were the community action group ACORN, the Arab American Action Network, Bernadine Dohrn's Children and Family Justice Center, and Trinity United Church, home base of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

I have a couple of reservations about the groups listed as receiving CAC funds. The article didn't give links to their sources and IIRC TUCC got earmarks from Obama as a senator, not from CAC.

ACORN is correct. I'll be chasing down the others to verify.

[bad]

Bernadine Dohrn made numerous contacts with Fidel Castro's Cuban Mission at the UN in 1968 and 1969, during which time she arranged for SDS groups to visit Havana.

After returning from Cuba, Dohrn and others met with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong representatives in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss antiwar strategy on US campuses. Speaking a few days later at an assembly of revolutionary student movements at Columbia University, Dohrn reported that the Vietnamese communists she met in Budapest were working with US GIs in Saigon, attempting to obtain military information.

As a gesture of solidarity, the Vietnamese who Dohrn met in Budapest presented her with a ring made from an American aircraft shot down over North Vietnam. Bill Ayers would receive a similar ring while meeting with Vietnamese communists in Toronto. He later recalled being so moved by the gesture that he "left the room to cry." He said, "I realized...America was an evil... and that I was... living inside the belly of the beast...."

SWarren's link to AT Linked Under Name. (bad)

[PeterUK]

RichatUF

Read all the links and comments,you are right it wasn't Hanson on the board it was............Al Gore!

[bad]

Speaking a few days later at an assembly of revolutionary student movements at Columbia University, Dohrn reported that the Vietnamese communists she met in Budapest were working with US GIs in Saigon, attempting to obtain military information.

Not just unrepentant terrorists, but treasonous unrepetant terrorists.

Say that three times really fast.

[SWarren]

"Washington Lobbyists do not fund my campaign, and will not run my White House"

The easy way to counter that is to point out that the very people who ran Fannie and Country Wide into the ground are top Obama economic advisors. His administration will be run by people to already destoryed Fannie and Country Wide.

Posted by: Ranger | September 16, 2008 at 01:00 PM

Yeah Ranger, I can't believe Obama opened that door! Hope McCain gets an ad out immediately with Obama making that statement
and then tell the story of how Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson and Rahm Emmanual(all advisers Obama's campaign) brought on the this debacle and left the taxpayers holding the bag.
From The American Spectator:

Fannie,Freddy, and Obama

~SNIP~
The next question is: Why was the Obama campaign so keen on getting advanced word about the bailout?

"They have a huge problem with the mortgage and housing market story, and everyone is missing it," says a Republican political media consultant with ties to the Obama campaign due to the bipartisan nature of the firm he does work with.

"You look at Obama's economic advisers, the guys he has counted on from day one and who have raised him a ton -- and I mean a ton -- of money: Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson, both of them are waist to neck deep in the mortgage debacle."

Both Raines and Johnson have served as CEO of Fannie Mae, with Raines taking over from Johnson. Both are key political and economic advisers to Obama.

"How can Obama go out with a straight face and saw it was Republicans who made this mess, when it is his key advisers who ran the agencies that made the big mess what it is?" says a Democrat House member who supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "It's his people who are responsible for what may well be the single largest government bailout in history. And every single one of them made millions off the collapse that are lining Obama's campaign coffers. If the McCain campaign lets this one go, they deserve to lose."

It isn't just Fannie Mae where Obama has a problem. Another close political adviser, in fact the one man responsible for rallying support for Obama early on among Congressional Democrats, is Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who served on the Board of Directors for Freddie Mac after leaving the Clinton White House. According to Freddie Mac insiders, Emanuel during his time on the board opposed every reform proposed by the Bush Administration that would have impacted Freddie and Fannie Mae.

Emanuel claimed to be neutral in the primary race between the wife of his old boss and his longtime Chicago acquaintance, Obama. But the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who would be first in line for the vacated Senate seat of Obama should he win the presidency, quickly dumped Clinton when it was clear Obama had a head of steam for the nomination.

"We ought to be able to -- rightly -- hang the Fannie and Freddie scandal around the neck of Obama, if they can get out in front," says a House Republican. "Middle-class folks' mortgages are probably safe, but the American taxpayer will also be paying for this scandal for years to come."

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

Way to go, gang. I posted that little quote earlier so you could shoot it down with the ammo we all have been accumulating over these past few months. You are up to the task.

Now it's time for Clarice to get it to the McCain campaign. With the talent here, we could probably even supply the ad copy.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

You were up to the task.

[sym]

everyone here realizes that amir taheri likes to make stuff up, right? He invented a story about Iranians forcing non-Muslims to wear badges in 2006. The hawkish National Post had to print a retraction blaming Taheri: (http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=6df3e493-f350-4b53-bc16-53262b49a4f7&p=1)

Why the NY Post hires this guy is a mystery to me. But before you go waving the Logan Act around, maybe get the story independently confirmed by someone who is not the right-wing's answer to Jayson Blair.

[clarice]

Dear sym, Can you read? The Obama camp has essentially confirmed it while calling what they were doing, a denial!

[SWarren]

Jim Rhoads,
I'm glad you posted that quote. I can't believe Obama opened that door wide open to be rebutted.

My husband teaches Economics and his students got into a discussion a couple months ago when the crisis started breaking. Of course they were blaming Bush and repubs. I remembered reading this article from a couple years ago, so I printed it out for him to hand out to his class of skulls full of mush.
It’s is a very long article from Byron York back in 2006, but it spells out the whole sordid story of the Democrat‘s honeypot

Funny Business At Fannie Mae: how’d those Clintonites get so rich?
~SNIP~
Senator Sununu and his colleagues on the Senate banking committee have been trying for two years to win approval of a bill that would create a new regulatory body for Fannie Mae and give that body the authority to crack down on the company's riskier practices.

But the bill has faced a lot of opposition, mostly from Democrats. When Raines was still at Fannie Mae (he was forced out in 2004), he tried, in Sununu's words, "to slow-walk the process.

Frank Raines decided they were stronger and better and smarter than everyone else, so they would push back." Democrats allied themselves with Raines and said they created by [Fannie Mae's] senior management with the aid of inappropriate accounting and improper earnings management."
In other words, they cooked the books.

And to make matters worse, according to OFHEO, when regulators began to catch on to what was happening, Raines and his team then "sought to interfere" with the OFHEO investigation by trying to get Congress to start up a separate probe of OFHEO. Fannie Mae also lobbied Congress to cut OFHEO's funds unless it got rid of the top official in charge of investigating Fannie Mae.

Cont’d..Read it all at LUN

[Ranger]

Well, here is some proposed ad copy:

Whose Fault?

Barack Obama says: (clip of Obama) This mess is the product of a rejection of even common sense regulation for the last 8 years (or words to that effect, it is basically what he is saying today)

But, it was Bill Clinton that repealed the regulations over investment banks.

Barack Obama also says: (clip of Obama)Washington Lobbyists do not fund my campaign, and will not run my White House

But Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were large doners to his political coffers before they were taken over at tax payer exspence, along with Chris Dodd, and Barack Obama's running mate, Joe Biden. What did all those donations to big time controbutions buy?

Resistance to common sense regulation of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

And who are Barack Obama's top economics advisorts?

Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson.

Who are they?

Franklin Raines ran Fannie Mae for 5 years, up until 2005 when he was forced to resign for Enron style accounting that allowed him to pocket 100 Million dollars while driving the company towards bankruptcy by buying bad mortgages from companies like Country Wide.

Jim Johnson ran Fannie Mae before Raines took over, and then ran Country Wide. The bad mortgages he sold to Fannie Mae destroyed both companies.

Why should we let Barack Obama put the people who drove Fannie Mae and Countrywide into the ground in charge of the entire economy?

It's rough, needs some work, but you get the idea.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

Apparently this one is a big problem for Obama. Sym's message here is evidence of that.

Not only that, but the Obama campaign can't get their stories straight about it.

Obama himself tried to explain what he meant in the reported conference. That seems to me to be an admission that the story is accurate. Then bots like sym start to flood the zone with denials.

Confusion like that usually means that someone struck paydirt.

Then the Audacity of Hope has the audacity to try to divert attention from his receipt of over $100k directly from FNMA related entities and people.

He has sown the seeds for fair and accurate ads from the McCain Palin team.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

That should be one of the ads, Ranger.

Do we have anyone in our network that can do screen grabs and put together an ad on YouTube to get around through PJM, etc?

[clarice]

Yes, he has, Jim.
Send better bots if you don't want us to figure out you soiled your panties, Axelrod.

[clarice]

Jim, Surely Chaco aka OODAman can do that. If he can tear himself away from the PM camera and all his fame.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

When I was doing campaign PR work, we were cautioned to never use the word "lie." Instead, words like disingenuous, or "in need of clarification," or "inaccurate," or even "confused," were to be substituted.

Obviously the Obama campaign does not subscribe to these cautionary words, so forget the words "he embellished," or he "made another gaffe," and let's call it what it is, Obama lies.

He has lied about the Born Alive bill, he has lied about the sex ed for 5 year olds bill, he has lied about his relationships with Ayers, Wright, et al, he is lying about the lobbyists working for him, he is lying about being an agent of change.

[Jane]

It's rough, needs some work

Ranger,

It's good, but you have to work in what Fannie and Freddie mean in the whole mess and why associations there are problematic.

And the history with ACORN won't hurt either.

[glenda waggoner]

Hello all..just returned to the disaster zone (Galveston County) my house is safe and sound-fence is down and pool is full full of debris but the power came back up 10 minutes ago and I immediately went here to catch up. My, my, a lot has happened/where we were in HIll Country only my XM radio kept me in touch. My daughters both live on Galveston Island and can finally go in tomorrow and see if their condo is still there. My 90 year old uncle(a strong crazy serbian) rode out the storm 5 blocks from the San LUis Hotel (where the news and city reported from) he is fine but
his fruit trees from the old country are gone. They were seeded from his father's who arrived with a fig tree in 1919. It will take me days to catch up on the Palin/Obama news--looks bad for Obama, yes?
By the way GWB just flew over--I still Like him! Will see you all later. I hope I never have to do this (evacuate and wonder and worry and pray) ever again! Missed JOM!

[Extraneus]

This is where McCain can seriously wound Obama. Two giant openings, maybe the best he'll ever have, each easy to explain and easy to exploit in a way that arouses anger in regular Americans.

The ads almost write themselves.

"Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were government-backed mortgage companies, run by Democrats..."

"Barack Obama admits he interfered with American diplomacy..."

[M. Simon]

glenda,

God bless.

[Joan]

Oh, my goodness, what a laugh DebinNC just gave me:

"Re the Dems wanting to remove Rangel from his chairman seat, conservatives should follow Biden's advice: "Let's all stand up for Chuck."

Funny, funny, funny.

[Porchlight]

Great news, Glenda! So glad you are safe and I hope your family is able to get back on their feet quickly. We missed you, too!

[M. Simon]

Ranger,

Have a look at "The Best Congress ..."

LUN scroll down. It may give you some good links. Not H/T required. I got most of the links from JOM commenters.

[kim]

Excellent news, Glenda. We gave a fig.
=====================

[Ranger]

It's good, but you have to work in what Fannie and Freddie mean in the whole mess and why associations there are problematic.

And the history with ACORN won't hurt either.

Posted by: Jane | September 16, 2008 at 03:57 PM

Thanks.

All valid points, but the real problem is getting it all to fit into 30 sec. or 1 min. time frame. As is the draft is already probably over 1 min.

It is relly important to stick to one point, and this one probably goes too far in trying to make two (Clinton's fault, and Dems cashing in while wrecking companies).

A 30 seconder would probably take Extraneus' point as a core and work out from it.

for example:

Barack Obama wants to blame Republicans for the mortgage crisis.

But Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were government-backed mortgage companies, run by Democrats. They pocketed hundres of millions of dollars for themselves while driving these companies into the ground by buying bad mortgages from other democrat run lenders like Countrywide.

Now Barack Obama is taking economic advice from the same people who cause the problem in the first place.

That's not change.

[MikeS]

Now Barack Obama is taking economic advice from the same people who cause the problem in the first place.

Priceless!!

[clarice]

Ranger--that's really good--Jab haco--Go to his exploration site and see if you can find him.

[Sue]

Yeah, Glenda. So glad you posted.

[bad]

Good things do happen to good people. Hope the rest of your family is fortunate as well. Sorry about the old country fruit trees. One can get very attached to flora and fauna.

[clarice]

*8jab Chaco**

[Danube of Thought]

Washington Post, May 24 2006:

"Fannie Mae engaged in 'extensive financial fraud' over six years by doctoring earnings so executives could collect hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses, federal officials said yesterday in a report that portrayed a company determined to play by its own rules.

"Regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, in announcing a settlement with Fannie Mae that includes $400 million in penalties, provided the most detailed picture yet of what went wrong at the congressionally chartered firm.

"They portray the District-based mortgage funding giant -- a linchpin of the nation's housing market -- as governed by a weak board of directors, which failed to install basic internal controls and instead let itself be dominated and left uninformed by chief executive Franklin Raines and Chief Financial Officer J. Timothy Howard, who both were later ousted."

McCain needs to jump all over this one right this minute.

[clarice]

Glad you are well, Glenda.

[GMax]

Glenda

Glad its still there. You must be one of the lucky few. Entergy has been painfully slow in getting power restored there. I think its still about 90% out in the Entergy area. Reliant ( Centerpoint is their transmission lines and transformer guys ) are a little bit better but I think it may still be 60 -70 % still without power.

I think Galveston Island has only allowed peek and poke and you must leave every evening. Threatening $2000 fines for those who ignor. Not sure how that applies to those who never left, and there are a fair amount of those.

[clarice]

DoT Rush is steaming--instead of blaming the Dems, McCain's mouth, Fiorina, blamed Bush.

He'd better get back in the OODA loop again--

[Ranger]

Ranger--that's really good--Jab haco--Go to his exploration site and see if you can find him.

Posted by: clarice | September 16, 2008 at 04:29 PM

Thanks!

Hight praise indeed... Do you have a link? I am happy to give up the content to any tech savy individual who will put it into play (provided my internet connection is stable enough for the rest of the afternoon).

[bad]

Maybe in the rush to blame Bush some of the history of the debacle will emerge.

And my next fantasy is...

[M. Simon]

Well, the easy way to counter that is to point out that the very people who ran Fannie and Country Wide into the ground are top Obama economic advisors. His administration will be run by people to already destoryed Fannie and Country Wide.

Ranger,

I wouldn't go with lobbyists. That can cut both ways. I would work the campaign staff issue. Pritzker, and the Fannie Mae guy.

Look for "The Best Congress..." LUN scroll down.

[DebinNC]

Mitt needs to be out talking economics. Carly is a disaster.

[Danube of Thought]

I understand Firorian said Palin couldn't run a large corporation, then recovered by saying McCain couldn't either. Pasture time for this one.

[M. Simon]

Ranger,

The Thirty Seconds Over ∅ spot is spot on.

Keep it to 30. It means you have to have a tight easy to understand message.

[Extraneus]

Good one, Ranger. Clean, simple, and it definitely has impact. Wish you could get something in there about the fact that the Democrats running these government-backed mortgage companies were big donors to Barack Obama, Joe Biden (and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd), and that the money they donated was returned in the form of loose regulations, leading to the current "crisis."

"John McCain supported regulations which would have avoided the crisis, but these regulations were blocked by the Democrats in congress."

Probably not possible in 30 seconds, though.

[clarice]

Ranger--Here's Charlie's website

http://explorations.chasrmartin.com/

I'll send him an email though telling him about your ad and asking if he'd check into this and see what he might do with it.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

Carley is over her head. Giuliani and Mitt are better than all of them. McCain needs to get them on board and fast.

[DebinNC]

From Instapundit...UPDATE: Reader Mark Cates writes: "I would put together a commercial that said…"

James A. Johnson - former Fannie Mae CEO and Obama Advisor

Just cost you billions in taxes

Franklin Raines – former Fannie Mae CEO and Obama Advisor

Just cost you billions in taxes

Barack Obama – If we can’t afford his advisors, how can we afford him?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

DOT: Actually she said that a CEO of a corporation is a very different job from President and that being a good CEO does not necessarily mean you have the right kind of experience to be a good President.

She was talking about the nuts and bolts of running a company.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

She is right about that, Sara. But she is not as strong as Mitt and Rudy in a political sh**storm. That's what we're in until November 5.

[Extraneus]

Exactly, and he doesn't need her for her gender cred anymore.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Jim: As a Romney supporter, I agree.

[clarice]

As I recall it, Carly herself was not so hot as a CEO.
As a political spokesperson in any event she's stupid. Of course the quote woule be cut and spread to imply something other than what she intended. She expected nuance? Honesty?
Dope.

[M. Simon]

Ranger, Jim,

When you have final copy let me know: my e-mail is in my sidebar at the top LUN.

I'm tight with a Senate Staffer and will forward it.

Simon

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I just sent McCain two emails. One telling him to stop with the blame Bush meme, the other to shut Carly up and get Mitt Romney out there as the person who can speak with authority on economic issues.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Simon: what is the link for the article you keep talking about?

[Rick Ballard]

Sara,

There is no point in McCain not attacking Bush. No one who respects Bush has any expectations whatsoever concerning McCain's loyalty to Bush or to the Republican Party. Some of us are anticipating McCain's comeuppance as a four year flop in the job he's seeking with a certain amount of grim satisfaction.

He's playing to the Muddle and doing a better job of it than "where's my teleprompter?". I don't think second guessing him at this point makes any sense.