Oh, THAT Explains It!

Karen DeYoung, associate editor for the WaPo, explains why Obama's apparent meddling in the negotiations between the US and Iraq over the status of US forces [and see UPDATE]:

Falls Church, Va.: Did Obama intrude into negotiations with the Iraqis over the Status of Forces Agreement, as the New York Post is reporting?

washingtonpost.com: Obama Tried to Stall GIs' Iraq Withdrawal (New York Post, Sept. 15)

Karen DeYoung: The NY Post, which published the piece, said that Obama had "demanded" that bilateral agreements with Iraq be delayed until there's a new president here. As I read the comments made by both Iraqi FM Zebari and by Obama, Obama seemed to have the same position as most Democrats (and some Republicans) over the agreements--saying that Congress has the right to examine and approve the agreements (which the Bush administration has rejected) and asking whether it makes sense to negotiate and sign an accord for the next several years when a new administration may want to do something different.

Oh - it's not a problem because Obama meant it and anyway, Obama has the same position as most Democrats.  Dare we wonder out loud - are most Democrats nominated as their party's candidate for President?  Are most Democrats currently the front-runner to become the next President?  Are most Democrats presenting their views to the Iraqi foreign minister while negotiations between the US and Iraq are underway?

It appears, since she has it in quotes, that Ms. DeYoung is hung up on the word "demanded".  Well, let's roll the videotape - here is how ABC News quoted Obama's description of his telephone discussion with Zebari (my emphasis, and Fox had the same quote):

"I emphasized to him how encouraged I was by the reductions in violence in Iraq, but also insisted that it is important for us to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops, making clear that we have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq, that any negotiations for a Status of Forces agreement or strategic framework agreement should be done in the open and with Congress's authorization, because I believe that it's in the interests of both Iraq and the United States that any such critical negotiations have strong bipartisan support and that they can be sustained through a future administration," Obama told reporters.

Let's flash back to our misspent youths and play the SAT game: Of "insisted", "making clear" and "demanded", which does not belong?  Hah!  Trick question!  If Obama insisted and made clear that Congress needed to be involved and the deal could be delayed, that is the same as demanding it be delayed.  Of course, as a mere US Senator he is not in a position to make demands, but as the leading Presidential candidate his words carry more than ordinary weight.

As to why this is A-OK with the WaPo, we eagerly await a sensible explanation.  In fact, I insist and demand that we get one - did I make myself clear?

MORE:  Yes, my demand and a buck-fifty gets you a cup of coffee, but it was fun typing it.  I, of course, am neither a US Senator nor a front-running Presidential candidate.  Not yet.

UPDATE:  The Times reports the current deal is in jeopardy.

Comments

[Cecil Turner]

. . . Obama seemed to have the same position as most Democrats (and some Republicans) over the agreements--saying that Congress has the right to examine and approve the agreements (which the Bush administration has rejected) . . .

Huh? Are they really saying Congress now has the power to negotiate treaties? How many "Constitutional law scholars" does it take to read the darn thing, anyway?

[baked alaska]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

Gallup Tracking Obama +4
Rasmussen Tracking Tie
Hotline/FD Tracking Obama +4
Battleground Tracking McCain +2
CBS News/NY Times Obama +5
Quinnipiac Obama +4
Pew Research Tie
Reuters/Zogby Obama +2
Newsweek Tie

[baked alaska]

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

[Mag K]

I saw this too and wondered why the heck it mattered whether he "demanded" or asked really really politely. Either way, he's still negotiating something he has no right to negotiate.

[Appalled]

Baked Alaska:

Ok. What do the polls have to do with Obama and Iraq? Just a question.

[clarice]

PDNFTT

[GMax]

OH THIS IS QUITE FUN! I just disappeared half baked with my Acme troll blaster! What a great tool! His effort was wasted on the cut and paste I cant even see his tracks in and out.

[bad]

TTITFSTF

[Charlie (Colorado)]

TTITFSTF

Gesündheit.

[bad]

from the San Francisco Gate:

The feistier, more sarcastic tone came as worried Democrats urged Obama to get tougher and show more passion. Obama has tried to assure donors and voters that he's been schooled by Chicago politics.

"I'm skinny but I'm tough," he says.

This article is exciting to the dem base and is written as a love letter but the author doesn't realize that "being schooled by Chicago politics" isn't exactly "hope and change".

[Buford Gooch]

TTITFSTF???

[bad]

Thanks Chaco. Thanks again for your site. Many friends are into it.

[bad]

The T____ Is Too F___ing S_____ To F___.

[matt]

We're in the middle of a war in a highly volatile political environment, and Boy Barack waltzes in and ignores the reality on the ground and United States law. How much more arrogant does he have to be before people wake up?

[bgates]

GMax - It does wonders for your blood pressure, doesn't it?

Bad - TITFF (that is too f'n funny).

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Hey, it's better than working.

Now if it just paid better than working.

[JM Hanes]

It Does. Not. Matter. whether Obama was asking or demanding. When the Democrats have been screaming themselves hoarse over Bush's casual approach to the Constitution for years, their laissez-faire attitude toward their own cavalier nominee just drives me up the wall. Is there actually anything Obama could do that they wouldn't excuse? This exceeds the feminists' cynical surrender to Clinton by several orderS of magnitude.

[SlimGuy]

NASHVILLE – The son of state Rep. Mike Kernell has been contacted by authorities in connection with a probe into the hacking of personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Kernell told The Tennessean.

Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, said his 20-year-old son David had been contacted by authorities investigating the hacking of Palin’s personal e-mail account, the newspaper reported on its Web site this afternoon.

The FBI and the Secret Service started a formal investigation Wednesday into the hacking, according to the Associated Press.

David Kernell is a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

More details as they develop online and in Friday’s News Sentinel.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Link, Slim?

PJTV in 2 minutes....

[GMax]

We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout? Are you for it or against it? Whats so hard? This guy reminds me more of Jiminy Carter every day.

[SlimGuy]

Link

[SlimGuy]

GateWay Pundit and Michelle Malkin have the updates.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Thanks, I just dropped the name on PJTV.

[SlimGuy]

GatewayPundit has the most information on the situation it seems.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Crossposting this.

Via Wizbang:

PBS has a short video on Sarah Palin on their website. Also included is a poll that asks: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be VP?

I logged on a few minutes ago and 35% percent had voted YES, 65% NO.

Let's turn this around..... You don't have to give your name or email address in order to vote. It's very simple.

Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html

[bad]

GYLI bgates

[TruthIsHere]

Attention BushBOts!

125 days and COUNTING until President Obama puts BUSH, CHENEY and the entire BUSH REGImME on trial for WAR CRIMES!

Looks like Ambassador Wilson will get to see ROVE frog-marched in handcuffs after all!

[ben]

It's working already...now Sarah is up to 42%

[ben]

125 days and COUNTING until President Obama puts BUSH, CHENEY and the entire BUSH REGImME on trial for WAR CRIMES!

Looks like Ambassador Wilson will get to see ROVE frog-marched in handcuffs after all!

First he will have to cancel the constitution and the eliminate the judiciary and proclaim himself Dictator of the People's Republic of the USA...I am not saying it can't happen, only that it might take longer than 125 days

[clarice]

Why do nutters spend so much time writing in capital letters? They always look like their hair is on fire !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ranger]

New McCain ad out today. Hot Air has it:

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/18/mccain-hits-raines-in-new-ad-advice/>McCain hits Raines in new ad, “Advice”

Don't think Obama's numbers will stay up for long if this is the first in a series on Obama's economic advisors.

[Mark]

Certainly the Post would work diligently to understand McCain's point of view if he had done what Obama did.....Oh wait, no they wouldn't and everyone knows it.

[kim]

Truth is where? Joe Wilson threw his lot in with Hillary Clinton. Obama's crew is more likely to indict Wilson than McCain's.
=====================================

[bgates]

Ranger - that's Franklin Delano Raines. Is it racist of me to use the middle name?

[bio mom]

Palin has been "disinvited" from attending the anti Iran rally next week after pressure on the organizers. Obama campaign and Hillary said it would be "political" if she was there along with Hillary. Disgraceful. And Obama is no real friend of Israel despite the spin. I hope this bacfires on the Dems.

[bio mom]

The nightly "internals" on the tracking polls the last 3 nights suggest that after bad nights on M and really bad on T, the trend is towards McCain again. Registered voter numbers are always very volatile. That is why rasmussen's likely voter polls are more stable and more likely to show real trends over background noise. Also he tries to adjust to changes in D vs R registration in a better way than most others do. The D to R difference has dropped dramatically in the last month so a lot of polls who publish results obtained by oversampling Dems are probably overestimating the Obama numbers.

[clarice]

It is outrageous...A shonda as we say (disgrace).

[oker]

Don't vote because 'she's cute'

[sbw]

That PBS "Poll" is no poll. It's garbage. It can be fed as many times as you want from one IP address.

[Extraneus]

Yes, that is a disgrace. A shonda. Thanks for that lesson.

[dave in w-s]

"...I am not saying it can't happen, only that it might take longer than 125 days."

And a good deal of ammunition.

[TruthIsHere]

President Obama has promised to prosecute BUSH, CHENEY and the entire corrupt BUSH CABAL for WAR CRIMES.

By giving aid and comfort to this ILLEGAL REGIME (which was never voted into power - see FLORIDA 2000), clarice, kim and ALL REPUGLICANS are accomplices to WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.

Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!

[Ranger]

President Obama has promised to prosecute BUSH, CHENEY and the entire corrupt BUSH CABAL for WAR CRIMES.

By giving aid and comfort to this ILLEGAL REGIME (which was never voted into power - see FLORIDA 2000), clarice, kim and ALL REPUGLICANS are accomplices to WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.

Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!

Posted by: TruthIsHere | September 18, 2008 at 08:12 PM

I think this one should go to Instapundit. Looks like he will have to start a new series: They told me if Obama was elected...

[bad]

did someone pass gas?

[Soylent Red]

punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.

Send them to a re-education camp to make me a wallet or a keychain or something.

BUSH = HITLER. CHENEY = SOMETHING worse THAN Hitler! DOOOOM! POWER to THE Obama-Umma!

[Extraneus]

Gee, tribunals, show trials, intimidation, punishment. Not quite as impressive as ideas, but maybe better than any others they have. At least it would precipitate what this is all apparently coming to, before our kids need to be too involved.

[Ann]

ROTFL bad!

[bad]

Who's going to visit us all in prison? I hope we have co-ed cells.

[bad]

Sugar Rautland, a Chicago socialite, is on with Bill O'Really and is a hoot to listen to. I hope a lot of bitter clingers were watching.

[Soylent Red]

This is the change I've been waiting for? Would it be OK if I just kept waiting?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Humor TruthisHere, if you must, but sooner or later it is only humane to let him/her know that they'll be coming for him long before they get to Bush/Cheney, et al.

[bad]

Ann, I didn't know if it was proper to say "fart." So I didn't.

[Soylent Red]

Well, if I'm going to re-education camp I'm betting you all right now that I can eat 50 hard-boiled eggs.

[Jane]

We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout?

He's trying to figure out what the letters mean.

[hit and run]

In one hour?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Soylent: LOL.

Sad to read a couple of weeks ago that Newman has only a few weeks to live.

[Soylent Red]

Hit:

When the Obamessiah child soldiers march me the cooler, I'll need you to toss me my ballglove.

[SukieTawdry]

TruthIsHere must be one of the "ambassadors" Obama dispatched to argue with us and get in our faces. Most effective.

Obama mocks McCain in Nevada stops

[Cecil Turner]

Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!

C'mon, folks. That was a joke . . . right? I mean, I hope it was. (OTOH, if not, it's even funnier.)

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Cecil: I have a friend named Michael Murphy, no middle name. He travels with his job and is constantly flying. About 7 or 8 mo. ago, he started getting flagged as being on the "no fly list." Apparently there is another Michael Murphy who is on the list.

He told me that after months of annoyance and delays, he finally got smart and when he buys his tickets he lists his name as Michael NMI Murphy and since then has had no problems at all.

And we think there is a sound system of checks in place.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Obama email hacked.

(Via AmericanDigest.org)

[clarice]

I want a cell with Soylent and Hit..If I'm going to be starved and beaten I want it to be with someone (s) who make me laugh a lot.

[hit and run]

Heh, Charlie. Though the "Mom" entry thows it off...replace that one with Scarlett Johansson, perhaps.

[Captain Hate]

We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout?

He's trying to figure out what the letters mean.

His handlers are furiously loading them in the teleprompter now after he made a complete ass of himself yesterday except in the minds of geniuses like TruthIsElsewhere. I'd really like to see his Columbia transcript because any time this guy ad-libs he sounds as dumb as a plank.

[hit and run]

And if I'm going to be stuck in a cell with someone who's going to make me laugh, I want to be **thwacked**

[ben]

"WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal."

These trials will be brought to you by the same people who vociferously object to the Guantanamo military trials for terrorists, no doubt.

[Semanticleo]

"The McCain campaign has cited the proximity of Alaska to Russia as evidence of her international experience.

Hagel scoffed at that notion.

"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people.""

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10435997

Then he makes a salient Bush conncection......."Washington experience isn't the only kind of experience, Hagel said, and he noted that many White House occupants have been governors with no time inside the Beltway."

Yeah. That outsider from Texas was sure a winner on all fronts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[bgates]

Michael NMI Murphy
Good thinking. They're probably looking for Michael NME Murphy.

Nobody belongs on a list like that except America's NME's.

[Semanticleo]

"WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal."

Read vincent bugliosi's book "The prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder".

It's available at bookstores eeverywhere.

[bgates]

Ben - using private information stolen by the same people who vociferously object to listening in on Pakistan-to-Pakistan cell phone calls on civil liberties grounds.

[ian cormac]

The American part, in particular throws him. Maurice Greenberg, was kicked out of AIG by Spitzer on one his 'torchlight vendettas' masquerading as an anti corruption crusade; lesser men stepped in, the jokers at CNBC's Squawk Box, I think, was having a jolly old time of it; thinking their so brave, have they checked their own portfolios; hope they get a chance to burn their certificates for fuel. The tracker on "Is Larry King Alive" saids 'Worse crisis since the 30s" are they @#$@#%#%& crazing; 'If this goes on', as Heinlein might have put it, it might add up to the '87 crash, but lets get real here. Are we at the post modern point where words have no relation to reality? I really want to know.

There is something distressing though about the leading financial firms, being forced to liquidate themselves, then being picked up 'for a song' by other firms; Stearns, Lehman, Countrywide, et al; when theprevious
denial of capital, suddenly is rebuffed after the govt extends its bailout. Is it likely that there really is no value left in these companies; if not why are we treating them this way. Who has the wherewithal to be able to liquidate sizable stakes in said companies or force others into this lemming march; it sounds like something from a bad James Bond film, yet Soros doesn't have the pull to carry it out.

[hit and run]

Hmmmm....Ace:

What am I working on?

Oh, I'm not working on anything per se. I am in the loop, though, on a moderately sized story which will likely be picked up by the MSM. Done by one of the blogosphere's own. It's not Rathegate II, as I first thought, but it's big-ish.

Someone, somewhere, is going to have to answer some questions.

Developing...

I hope TruthIsHere doesn't have any international travel soon.

[Soylent Red]

And if I'm going to be stuck in a cell with someone who's going to make me laugh, I want to be **thwacked**

Um hit? That's not the kind of prison movie we're talking about here...

[ben]

"Yeah. That outsider from Texas was sure a winner on all fronts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"

Not all fronts, but many. I still thank my lucky stars we did not get Gore or Kerry. I think Gore's commission to determine who was responsible for 9/11 would have been winding down about now, and Gore would be announcing "strong censure at the UN of the Taliban".

[Semanticleo]

"Is it likely that there really is no value left in these companies; if not why are we treating them this way. Who has the wherewithal to be able to liquidate sizable stakes in said companies or force others into this lemming march;"

Yeah. They have assets. The problem is the negatives outweigh the positives. This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive.

[ben]

"using private information stolen by the same people who vociferously object to listening in on Pakistan-to-Pakistan cell phone calls on civil liberties grounds"

Yeah, I am sure the person who hacked Palin's email was one of those very upset at eavesdropping on terrorists.

[boris]

algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive

Only in Assclownistan, and there its called trickonometry.

[ben]

"This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive."

Wow, now that's really clever.....and original too. Semanticleo's comments are both clever and original. The only problem is that the clever comments are not original, and the original comments are not clever.

[Barney Frank]

This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive.

?

[Barney Frank]

I think cleo better sue his math teacher.

[Pofarmer]

Ya know, in the Barack Hussein campaign, I feel like I'm seeing the most dishonest, double dealing, treacherous charachter American politics has ever seen. What a Zit on the American polity.

[boris]

The troll from Assclownistan only studied imaginary numbers which trolls use to count their children.

[Soylent Red]

I never did understand New Math...

[clarice]

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book7/bk7i15/bk7_15i1.htm

[Daddy]

Just got in so haven't read the above comments. Big news today here in Alaska on all the Talk shows is that tomorrow, Sarah's husband and the others having received supeoneas to testify tomorrow in the Troopergate/Tasergate Controversy, will refuse to appear in court as ordered. They are refusing to after being advised not to by the State Attorney General. Their non-appearance tomorrow, according to the Talk Show Talking Heads, means they are subject to fines, 30 days in jail, and charges of Contempt, however, that stuff supposedly can only occur if the State Legislature reconvenes and so orders it. As it stands, the State Legislature is out of session until 10 January, so the result will be well after the National Election on 4 November. Callers are divided on this whole mess between wanting all the facts on the table ASAP, versus, not letting Prosecutor Branchflower, friend of Monegan and no-fan of Sarah, present his report 4 days before the National Election.

[ben]

"The troll from Assclownistan only studied imaginary numbers which trolls use to count their children."

I blame Bush's educational policies.

[clarice]

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book7/bk7i15/bk7_15i1.htm>nice charts to print and use if your fingers aren't enough

[bubarooni]

okey dokey, this is completely off topic but i'm hopeful someone steers me in the right direction. is the following about right:

clinton admin packs fannie mae and freddie mac with dem operatives, basically warehousing them there where they can make big fat pay checks and contribute to the party.

dem controlled fannie mae and freddie mac (government sponsored entities) then push decreased lending rules to appease 'community activist' such as ACORN and to keep Congressional Black Caucus happy. they block bush's proposed reforms in 2003 and block mccain's proposed reforms in 2005.

i'm trying to keep up folks, but it's complicated! is that about right?

if it is, i think it would be really interesting to see how much money was contributed by the clinton appointees AND their hires.

[Ann]

Did anyone else watch the rest of the Palin interview on Hannity?

Wow, again, what a breath of fresh air. I am so looking forward to her debate with the gasbag. Hoorah!!

[clarice]

Thanks for the report, Daddy.
I suppose given that Dems are only attentive to assclown maneuvers that they will reconvene early or something.

[Rick Ballard]

Barney,

Can you figure out what Paulsen and Bernanke are up to? It looks like the Dems are lined up, nodding.

[Sue]

http://minx.cc/?post=273792>Ace has put out the call for an election lawyer for something medium sized big.

How big is it? It's eh big. It will be a modestly sized story, or would be, anyway, if the media weren't determined to embargo all negative stories about The One and/or The One's Masters.

If you know someone, give him a shout out.

[hit and run]

Hey Sue, see other thread...

[clarice]

McCain /Palin are assembling an anti-election fraud team.Go to their site and ask them to recommend one of their volunteers. If that doesn't work, have ace get back to me.

**********

Who'd have think this? "LOS ANGELES (AP) - Home sales in California surged 13.6 percent in August as a flood of foreclosures drove down prices.
The figures released Thursday by MDA DataQuick showed 37,988 new and preowned homes were sold statewide last month, up 13.6 percent from August 2007 but down 3.8 percent from July.

The firm said 46.9 percent of all homes sold last month were foreclosed properties.

That helped send the statewide median home price plunging 35.3 percent to $301,000 during the year ended in August.

Most of the foreclosed homes were located in inland regions that have taken the worst hits during the housing crisis.

"It's the counties that have these large pockets of distressed properties where prices have plummeted," MDA "
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D939E5SO0&show_article=1>Cal home sales surge

[Sue]

Hit,

Good job.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Daddy: When did a court get involved? I thought the subpoenas were issued by the faux legislative investigative panel, which as I understand it, doesn't even have jurisdiction. Doesn't the Personnel Board already have all the documents, etc. (the relevant emails are online) and aren't they the body with jurisdiction.

Also, I thought I read that the AG quashed those subpoenas.

[Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet]

Where's the potential case?

[RichatUF]

Rick-

Can you figure out what Paulsen and Bernanke are up to? It looks like the Dems are lined up, nodding.

Dude. Watch the presser-don't know what he told them but it seems to have sobered everyone in congress up.

[Barney Frank]

Rick,

Don't know much other than it apparently will be shaped to move from the current ad hoc and reactive, institution based maneuvers to a systemic asset based solution.
This is what I suggested a couple of days ago when I said they either needed to step back and let the chips fall where they may or go all in, ala the RTC.
But as I also pointed out the RTC got its assets for free so was pretty much guaranteed a profit.
They're going to have to buy these assets and I'm assuming they aren't going to be offering much. Where else are the holders of bad debt going to turn? Gonna be a lot of upfront money but if they hold them judiciously and sell them off over time they should be able to make a profit or break even. Who could sell to them and how it would be priced or structured is above my pay grade.
I do know what Pelosi and Reid are up to. Paulson and Reid just tossed them a life preserver. If the meltdown had continued I'm convinced Barry (and the Dems who were set to recess) was going to get increasingly stuck with the stink of this thing. McCain and Palin are just getting back on message. Pelosi and Reid will make nice with the dopey Repubs to make a deal and then turn right around and claim they just rescued us from McCain/Bush's disaster. And the real Barney Frank will be right there with em. McCain needs to start innoculating on that angle right now.

Of course whether this plan will actually work is another slightly important question as well. Those who think they're playing aces now may be chumps in a month.

[ben]

From ABC....hmmmmmm, how can this be used....

"ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: Former President Bill Clinton has largely kept himself out of the public eye since his wife lost the Democratic primary to Barack Obama.

However in a rare television interview tonight, the former president called Republican presidential candidate John McCain "a great man" and praised GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as an "instinctively effective candidate."

On a day when Obama sought to convince voters that he's best able to handle the economic crisis, the former president said it was his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who gave today "the most detailed position."

In an interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Clinton, who has tried to put to rest rumors of tensions between himself and Obama said, "I've never concealed my admiration and affection for Sen. McCain. I think he's a great man."