Pass The Freedom Fries

I have to back Barack and say something in French to the French on this one:

“Obama insults Sarkozy,” blared the headline on one French website, taking umbrage at Mr. Obama’s wayward remark at the G-20 summit here about the physical appearance of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr. Obama thought he was making a gentle joke about Mr. Sarkozy, host of the summit, when he congratulated Mr. Sarkozy and wife Carla Bruni on the birth of their baby daughter on Oct. 19. Instead, Mr. Obamacaused a minor international incident.

“I want to make mention that this is our first meeting since the arrival of the newest Sarkozy, and so I want to congratulate Nicolas and Carla on the birth of Giulia,” Mr. Obama told reporters shortly after his arrival at the G-20, with Mr. Sarkozy at his side. “And I informed Nicolas on the way in that I am confident that Giulia inherited her mother’s looks rather than her father’s, which I think is an excellent thing.”

He added, “And so now we share one of the greatest challenges and blessings of life, and that is being fathers to our daughters.”

Mr. Sarkozy, who is said to be very conscious about his looks, did not appear greatly amused by the comment, and some observers who attended the meeting said Mr. Obama’s remark fell flat.

Sarkozy is upset because Obama suggested Sarkozy's daughter might be as pretty as her mother?  How does one say "Move on" en Francais?

And we learn that Sarkozy is conscious of his looks?  Let me help - Google Translate tells me that the word I am looking for is "crapaud".

Comments

[Jane]

Thanks TM. It's not Corzine, but I'll take it.

[Danube of Thought]

"How does one say 'Move on' en Francais?"

Try "allez-vous en." Consult with Kay Starr first.

[Danube of Thought]

And if Kay is unavailable, get out your Ouija board and see what Cole Porter has to say.

[Threadkiller]

I tried very hard to pick a favorite quote from this Obama-Corzine dry hump session. It has proven to be impossible. I think it would make a dandy Pieces though.

http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-corzine-governor-rally

[Rex]

Even so, our President shows a certain knack for upsetting heads of state with his remarks. This is not the first time.

[Ralph L]

Should have stuck to bowing and waving his hand in people's faces.

[JM Hanes]

Here's the real outrage:

Republicans’ economic proposals are inflexible, insincere, selfish and motivated by the pursuit of partisan advantage rather than by a concern for Americans, according to President Barack Obama’s statements to an international press conference at the G-20 meeting Friday morning.

“As soon as I get some signal from Congress that they’re willing to take their responsibilities seriously, I think we can do more [for the economy], but that is going to require them to break out of the rigid ideological positions they’ve been taking,” he told the assembled media in Cannes, France.

Obama’s 20-minute speech dismissed Republicans’ opposition to extra business taxes. “They’ve said that that, ‘We prefer to protect 300,000 [wealthy] people rather than put hundreds of thousands of people back to work and benefit 300 million Americans who are hurting because of slow growth,’” Obama declared.

The president has frequently argued that Republicans put “party before country,” and he repeated that charge to the international audience Friday. “We can solve all our problems, grow our economy, put people back to work and reduce out deficit … it’s just a matter of setting politics aside, and constantly remembering the election is one year away,” he said.

This shit is unforgivable.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

JMH: It is shocking just how awful this is. This is our president talking trash about half the country he represents and doing it in a foreign country, no less.

Republicans’ economic proposals are inflexible, insincere, selfish and motivated by the pursuit of partisan advantage rather than by a concern for Americans, according to President Barack Obama’s statements to an international press conference at the G-20 meeting Friday morning.

Makes me retch. And he says it with a straight face because he is too stupid to see that it is his inflexible, insincere, selfish, partisanship that is ruining this great country. He is sick!

[sickofrinos]

Pres. hugamuzzie should stay overseas. My goodness, what an awful person he is.

[Captain Hate]

I thought we'd already covered what a boorish clod El JEFe's remarks revealed him to be in another thread. Not that it isn't an ongoing story...

Speaking of ill considered remarks, I'm guessing I shouldn't hold my breath for ace to confess that he can be tooled into being a shrieking ninny by the idiots at Politico.

[Captain Hate]

Speaking of ongoing stories: http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2011/11/adls-hypocritical-abe-foxman-does.html

[Brian]

Once again, Obama shows his arrogance. As a father of two daughters himself, he could have said something along the lines of "it's a good thing OUR daughters look like their mothers and not us," but instead it was "it's a good thing YOUR daughter looks like her mother and not YOU." Because he couldn't add the self-deprecating angle to his joke - because he can never say anything negative about Himself.

[Captain Hate]

Speaking of shrieking ninnies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asn4RThvv6w

[Sandy Daze]

Smart Diplomacy !

vOldermort Must Go !

Anyone But vOdermort !
Sandy

Good Morning all.

[That's a curse with a long memory. Obama won't be forgotten soon.]

Sarkozy's thinking, hmm, him with that pitiful excuse for a nose. His wife's thinking flattery will get you nowhere.
==================

[Jane]

Andy Rooney died after a month of retirement. That probably suited him.

[Jane]

Hey Sandy, did you get my letter?

[daddy]

Am in Paris.

TV is constantly replaying some video of Obama saying something to Sarkozy so I guess that is what you guys are talking about. Haven't listened to it yet, but it's on all the TV's in the hotel lobby. Off now for a walking Tour. Bye.

[Jane]

Indianapolis, Paris, why not Boston?

Daddy he called Sarkozy ugly - to his face.

[sbw]

Years ago we heard Andy Rooney speak on WWII. He had driven over by boat. He was sloshed, meandering, and appeared addled. It seemed his brain had passed away years earlier and that CBS propped him up zombie-like to milk his image for advertising money.

Sad, sad, sad.

[East Bay Jay]

If Obama got a better reception I suspect we'd get a whole 'Sarkozy is so ugly...' bit. And could 'your mama...' jokes be far behind?

O will fix this with an 'Obama Does Otis: Standing on the Dock of the Bay with my Foot on your Ugly Face' mix tape gift to the Sarkozys. That will take the sting out of the insult I bet. Fa, fa, fa, fa.

[pagar]

"Speaking of ongoing stories"

From the link posted by Captain Hate, they have this:

http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2011/11/muslim-brotherhood-makes-fools-of-naive.html

Looks like one of the Obama Admin favorite groups is at it again.

[Danube of Thought]

Minus 19 at Raz today.

[Janet]

I remember this wonderful speech given by Sarkozy to Congress in 2007.

a bit - "America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who--with their hands, their intelligence and their heart--built the greatest nation in the world: "Come, and everything will be given to you." She said: "Come, and the only limits to what you'll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent." America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance."

The whole thing is wonderful. I would vote for Sarkozy for POTUS over Obama.

[Danube of Thought]

"I would vote for Sarkozy for POTUS over Obama."

Janet, you'll have TK all riled up before sunrise out here.

[T J Sawyer]

Just another small lesson for the prez. What is acceptable humor in our culture may not pass for humor in another.

Perhaps he should take some cultural sensitivity training?

[henry]

Drudge has a link that says Obama never called the Cardinals to congratulate them on the World Series. That's Obama, no protocol unbreached. LaRussa didn't notice the snub until a reporter asked him what Obama said. World Series, yes. Obama no show. Perfect.

[narciso]

I'm reminded of Beck's mock GE jingle 'we bring evil to life' it's not just personal, I'm sure he would have no issues with fellow
wardheeler Jacques Chirac, a beneficiary of Baathist businessmen like Auchi.

[Janet]

More Obama sketchiness - Obama went to France while in college?

God bless Jack Cashill.

[Porchlight]

I am reposting jimmyk's excellent comment on this from a previous thread:

Typical Obama--what someone might say about himself in a self-deprecating way, he says about someone else.

[narciso]

Also from last night's thread Tim Egan, complaint about Cain's lack of knowledge, still smarting over the fact that they gave
'Joe the Plumber' a book contract

[Ignatz]

Perhaps Sarkozy, were he as classless as our president, could have gently suggested he was similarly glad that his wife lacked significant similarities to Barry's Wide Load Wookie and only then "moved on".

[Captain Hate]

What is acceptable humor in our culture may not pass for humor in another.

Eh, the French are pretty tuned in to American popular culture; when I was there in the early 90s they had dubbed versions of "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" on tv and American pop was blasting out of most stores on the Champs Elysees. I think it's more of Ear Leader's tone deafness on saying something wildly inappropriate and insulting when he should have opted for a gracious congratulations. It also reflects how poorly he was raised.

[Janet]

I am reposting jimmyk's excellent comment on this from a previous thread:

Thanks, Porchlight. Yeah, it is so true.

[narciso]

Like I suspected, in the LUN

[Porchlight]

Sarkozy is upset because Obama suggested Sarkozy's daughter might be as pretty as her mother?

No, he said it's "an excellent thing" that the baby resembles her mother and not her father. Big difference.

[narciso]

Back in the day, when Ace had his own fur, he would point this out, in the LUN

[MayBee]

If I didn't suspect it has become illegal for speakers in the US to make fun of Obama, I would agree with Maguire on this one.

Seriously? President ThinSkin making fun of someone else?

[Threadkiller]

Another thing about retirement that really bothers me; death.

[JM Hanes]

jimmyk (c/o Porchlight):

"Typical Obama--what someone might say about himself in a self-deprecating way, he says about someone else."

That's it! The other day I was trying to figure out exactly what it is that's so off key in his spontaneous remarks to individuals when he is out among his people, and you've absolutely nailed it. Even his nominally wry complaints about being henpecked in some way by Michelle fall into that general category.

The other thing that both POTUS and FLOTUS do that I find incredibly annoying is po' mouthing with a twist: We've led charmed lives (we're rich, etc. etc), but we're just like you (we too have known sorrow....). It's more effective, in some circles, than you'd think though, because people do like to have their own struggles acknowledged (or in PCspeak, "validated").

[MayBee]

JMH- he is a child.

Compare the yawns to his speech to the carp Bush took for saying Israel won't be safe if we try to appease her enemies. That was seen as an attack on then-Senator Obama. Outrage!!

[JM Hanes]

Captain Hate:

"I'm guessing I shouldn't hold my breath for ace to confess....."

Not sure anybody would confess to being a shrieking ninny, but what is it that keeps drawing you back there, when you seem to despise him so much? I found my own interest waning back when he brought in a bunch of other bloggers.

[Jane]

It also reflects how poorly he was raised.

Actually I'm of the opinion that Obama's remarks are his version of "cool". He ran on being "cool" he is embraced by the media because he is "cool" and his remarks are the same the cool kid in high school would have made. He expects cool people to get him and swoon, the rest if us are just not cool. So now we know the French are not cool.

[Benjamin Franklin]

How did those SEIU thugs get their start? Why do these socialists invariably turn violent?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_massacre

[narciso]

Ace, and the Eponymous Allah, more than Morrisey, do represent, there's that word
again 'consensus' in corners of the blogosphere. I sometimes think TM was trained
as a lawyer, because many of his posts, are
Socratic exercise, that prompt an often vociferous response.

[jimmyk]

Thanks, porch and JMH. But JMH has hit on the real outrage. Railing on Republicans to foreign leaders is completely inexcusable. This was the guy who said "There are no red states or blues states," who was going to be post-partisan. It's one thing to be just classless and clueless. This was a deliberate breach of national trust.

[matt]

Sarkozy, I'm sure is saying "you dick, I'm the one with the supermodel and you've got Princess Shopping Cart"

[narciso]

There is a personal aspect about the Sarkozy/Obama relationship, but it's also
ideological, as one can point out, He has no trouble relating to a corrupt statist Arabist
like Chirac, whereas as Sarkozy has called him out on the growing Iranian nuclear threat, is expressly pro American, but a crimp in the road to Palestinian statehood, yadda, yadda.

[narciso]

That's the more 'frank' way to put it., Matt.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

This was a deliberate breach of national trust.

Ditto

[Benjamin Franklin]

Do you know the significance of this date...?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night

[Captain Hate]

Not sure anybody would confess to being a shrieking ninny, but what is it that keeps drawing you back there, when you seem to despise him so much?

Some of the other commenters (Breitbart has stated, and ace to his credit reported it, that he only reads the comments and avoids the posts), although quite a few good ones seem to have given up and gone elsewhere.

[Benjamin Franklin]

Freedom is not 'free'...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/04/occupy-oakland-second-veteran-injured

"Sabeghi, who left the army in 2007 and now part-owns a small bar-restaurant in El Cerrito, about 10 miles north of Oakland, said he was handcuffed and placed in a police van for three hours before being taken to jail. By the time he got there he was in "unbelievable pain".

He said: "My stomach was really hurting, and it got worse to the point where I couldn't stand up.

"I was on my hands and knees and crawled over the cell door to call for help."

A nurse was called and recommended Sabehgi take a suppository, but he said he "didn't want to take it".

He was allowed to "crawl" to another cell to use the toilet, but said it was clogged.

"I was vomiting and had diarrhoea," Sabehgi said. "I just lay there in pain for hours."

Sabehgi's bail was posted in the mid-afternoon, but he said he was unable to leave his cell because of the pain. The cell door was closed, and he remained on the floor until 6pm, when an ambulance was called.

He was taken to Highland hospital – the same hospital where Olsen was originally taken after being hit in the head by a projectile apparently fired by police.

Sabehgi was due to undergo surgery on Friday afternoon to repair his spleen, which would involve using a clot or patch to prevent internal bleeding."

[Porchlight]

The comments at Ace's are some of the funniest on the web, especially late at night. I rarely do more than skim the posts.

jimmyk, I bet Obama and his supporters would now say they are post-post-partisan because the instransigence of The Party Of No gave them no choice. They are fighting evil now.

[narciso]

Is that anything like 'double secret probation'?

[MayBee]

Here's what's weird. Would Americans be the least bit interested in hearing a foreign leader come here and complain about *his* domestic rivals? I don't think so.

[Benjamin Franklin]

WOO HOO !!!!

http://weaselzippers.us/

"Another Milestone For The Occupiers: Total Arrests Hits 4,000!…"

[MayBee]

What would our military guys in Iraq do if they were doing crowd control and the hooligans wouldn't move?

[Captain Hate]

Great point Maybee

1. Take cheap shot at host's President
2. Whine about domestic opposition party
3. ????
4. SMART DIPLOMACY!

[narciso]

It's too bad, for him, that DSK won't be in the Presidential race, although also from the
Quest, there are more than the obvious parallels between him and Clinton,

[Benjamin Franklin]

"Great point Maybee

1. Take cheap shot at host's President
2. Whine about domestic opposition party
3. ????
4. SMART DIPLOMACY!"

LOL

As opposed to;

Take countless cheap shots at POTUS and FLOTUS..

Whine about the opposition party

???????

It's the Road to the White House !!!!!!!

[Captain Hate]

Btw, whoever does the writing for "Blue Bloods" on CBS does a good job of parodying an El JEFe equivalent as mayor of NYC and his interaction with Tom Selleck's character (coincidentally named Reagan; I say coincidentally because the show began last season and the mayor was a white dumbbell then). Invariably the Selleck character holds his ground and ends up persuading the mayor to do the right thing. Too bad life doesn't imitate art in this case.

[narciso]

The two creators, Burgess and Green,from their wikis, both worked for the Sopranos, among their credits, also from the show Wiki,
Chief Reagan, is a former Marine in Vietnam,
cynical about politics, that's just crazy talk, but always willing to do the right thing.

[MayBee]

Take countless cheap shots at POTUS and FLOTUS..

Whine about the opposition party

???????

It's the Road to the White House !!!!!!!

I agree that Obama has taken countless cheap shots at Michelle, but I haven't seen him take any cheap shots at himself.
Otherwise, I agree with you that this is his campaign strategy.

[Mark]

Concerning Obama's comment about Sarkozy. This is part of a pattern. The man never makes the joke on himself. Reagan was able to get away with this because he would bear the brunt of half of the joke as when said that he and the Canadian Prime Minister were two Irishmen who married up.

[jimmyk]

Here's what's weird. Would Americans be the least bit interested in hearing a foreign leader come here and complain about *his* domestic rivals? I don't think so.

True. I suspect Barry still thinks the rest of world, Europe especially, is still in love with him and will feel his pain and hang on his every word. How do you say "eye roll" in French?

[jimmyk]

Reagan was able to get away with this because he would bear the brunt of half of the joke

Or all of it. He was always making self-deprecating remarks about his age, like when he responded to some accusation of "government by amnesia," saying something like, "That's unfair criticism, I just wish I could remember who said it."

[narciso]

Even McCain could pull it off,

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20081112-171766/McCain-Sleeping-like-a-baby-since-loss

[Frau Vergissmeinnicht]

" ...after being hit in the head by a projectile apparently allegedly fired by police."

I watched the videos...

[Benjamin Franklin]

....because it has been shown that many protestors have been firing tear-gas projectiles and flash-bangs....

[narciso]

It takes a 'Happy Warrior' to really pull it off:

[MayBee]

It has been shown that only flash-bangs can damage someone's head when thrown. Not bottles or other projectiles.

[MayBee]

But hey, if the cops are out of control blood thirsty savages, I say the last thing we should do is pass Obama's jobs bill so federal taxpayers have to continue to support them.

[WarEagle82]

Holy Cow! A Frenchman feels insulted! This is one of the great constants in world history. When you have so little to be proud of, I guess every little thing sets you off...

Grow up,you are supposed to be the president of a country!

[Benjamin Franklin]

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-10-14/bay-area/30282371_1_consent-decree-police-chief-anthony-batts-reform

"Jordan has been the Police Department's top authority on bringing the force into compliance with a consent decree ordered after four officers were accused more than a decade ago of systematically beating and framing suspects.

The consent decree is the most critical issue facing the department, as a federal judge warned last week that the city faces the possibility of having its Police Department placed in federal receivership due to its failure to fully comply with the court order. Such a move could result in the city losing control over its police budget, its biggest general fund expense."

[MayBee]

Cops out of Oakland!

[MayBee]

US out of Oakland!

[MayBee]

MORE: Ray Patnaude emails: “My wife and I were at the AFP dinner. Some info on the AFP member who was pushed down the stairs by the protestors… she is the second woman the police are helping up in the Daily Caller video. Her name is Dolores Broderson, age 78. She rode on a bus for 11 hours from Detroit to get there. She went to the emergency room with a bloody nose and bruises on her hand and leg.”
=======

Who cares? She wasn't an Iraq war vet!

[Benjamin Franklin]

I care. I wish her a speedy recovery, which, at her age, is difficult.

[MayBee]

You didn't care enough to cut and paste 100 blogposts about her.

[MayBee]

Is Occupy DC going to have a vigil for her?

[MayBee]

The mob has a righteous cause, though. It's quite possible the Koch brothers paid for that woman's 11 hour bus ride.

[MayBee]

That Occupy DC mob has a righteous cause, though. It's quite possible that woman's 11 hour bus ride was paid for by the Koch brothers.

[Benjamin Franklin]

They made a 78 year old lady ride the bus?

[Clarice]

I hope she sues the SEIU ,MayBee.

[MayBee]

What, you think 78 year olds can't make their own choices? Choice. It isn't just about abortion, Ben.

[MayBee]

I hope she does too, clarice. I love it that the DC goofs decide the one place they need to mob to change government is....the convention hall.

[Threadkiller]

“I promise you, if you will help me on January 3, if I end up as the nominee, in my acceptance speech, if the president has not yet agreed, I will announce from that day forward for the rest of the campaign, the White House will be my scheduler,” Gingrich said. “And wherever the president appears, I will appear four hours later.”

Gingrich said he would challenge Obama to seven Lincoln-Douglas style debates lasting three hours each with no moderator and only a timekeeper. “I will concede that he can use a teleprompter,” Gingrich said.

According to Gingrich, his plan to follow Obama around the country is based on Abraham Lincoln’s strategy of giving a rebuttal speech to Stephen Douglas in the same place that Douglas had given a speech one day earlier during the 1858 Illinois Senate campaign."

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-presidential-primary/191971-gingrich-promises-to-follow-obama-around-the-country-until-he-accepts-debate-challenge

[narciso]

Yes, the Tea Party would have these sorts of allies:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/iranian-students-celebrate-1979-hostage-crisis-call-occupy-wall-st-continuation-of-irans-islamic-revolution/

[Clarice]

The only thing that would make this weekend really zing for me, is if MO showed up at OWS to share the organic meal with the guys and then lead them in jumping jacks while Obama is down the street at a WS biggie's house gathering campaign contributions.

C'mon, you two dopes--make my dream come true!

[Porchlight]

The man never makes the joke on himself.

Well, he did try to, that one time on Leno when he was talking about his bowling score...and then ended up insulting Special Olympians.

[JM Hanes]

"The protesters also formed roadblocks, surrounding the convention center and only allowing non-luxury cars to pass."

This would be almost funny, if the mobs weren't increasingly dangerous. And to think that Ben Franklin was so incensed by my use of the word "rabble" that he was forced to excommunicate me. LOL.

Here's that Daily Caller video. Gotta give their reporter props for wading into a group of guys screaming "Fuck the Daily Caller!" It does seem a little counterproductive, when aside from demonstrators wielding their own microphones, she seemed to be the about the only media type on the ground actually covering the protest.

I was curious about the one/two/three people who were said to have been "run over" (by what obviously must have been a luxury vehicle). Here ya go:

District of Columbia police said early Saturday that a driver will not be charged for striking three people taking part in an Occupy DC protest in downtown Washington.

Lt. Christopher Micciche (MITCH'-ih-kay) of the D.C. police said the driver was not cited because he had a green light when his vehicle struck the three on Friday night.
He said witnesses told police that the three pedestrians "either ran toward or jumped in front of the moving vehicle." He said one pedestrian

OWS probably must have a sign up sheet online somewhere. Don't miss the the injured party's lawyer.

What a strange, substance-free, sort of déjà vu, including angry confrontations between protesters and police, but this time around with protesters who don't even seem to know what, exactly, they're asking for.

[JM Hanes]

The only thing now standing between the President and the pitchforks:

[Janet]

Wonderful post & links at 5:52, JM Hanes. Thank you.
This OWS thuggery is getting scary. It looks like the OWSers are setting up phony events & phony martyrs like in the Middle East.
The lawlessness has to end.

[Benjamin Franklin]

All this angst about grassroot protests belies self-awareness, just as fears of a police state disappear as though Libertarians were 'just kidding'.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/oakland-another-iraq-war-veteran-injured/vD5pb/

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

All this angst about grassroot V&V protests belies self-awareness

Fixed. V&V = Violence and Vandalism

[Jane]

I'm not sure it should come to an end Janet. The longer it goes on, the worse for the democrats. Do you feel at risk?

[MayBee]

Nothing will bring on a police state faster than a bunch of lawless idiots occupying streets and setting fires to cities.

[hit and run]

Even if the lawless idiots are "grassroots"?

Why I never.

[JM Hanes]

Angst? The ranks of those still trying to equate OWS with the Tea Parties are thinning out pretty quickly. Grassroots is, as grassroots does, and I'm pretty aware of the fact that no one ever had to describe a Tea Party protest as "mostly non-violent." OWS New York actually looks more like the kind of sociological research project that could qualify for government funding.