Obama: I will continue to kick pirate ass
posted at 2:57 pm on April 13, 2009 by Allahpundit
Or rather, per his malaprop, “private” ass. No, he didn’t order the attack that saved the captain but he didn’t forbid it either, contra righty fears that negotiation is Obama’s first, last, and only means of conflict resolution. Meanwhile, Jonah Goldberg’s innocuous two-line post last night congratulating The One on the mission’s success has inadvertently turned into a litmus test for early onset Obama Derangement Syndrome, with angry e-mailers and, allegedly, even Rush Limbaugh calling him out for the offense. Follow the last link and read the message he got from someone wondering, “Does rightwing media not know how to do propaganda?” Has it come to that?
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It’s not a matter of doing propaganda, but dissecting it.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Yeah, Obama gets a lot of things wrong.
His position on this was right.
carbon_footprint on April 13, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Actually, Rush acknowledge Goldberg for being the first conservative pundit to properly congratulate Obama on his success.
If you think he was being sarcastic, well, that’s your issue.
BigD on April 13, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Ugh, no one wants to hear this guy talk… AP, have you guys still not gotten my email or seen my o/t comments in other threads today? THIS is the video the readers want to see:
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Nation/2009/04/12/Crew-Tell-the-president-to/1239564402.html
RightWinged on April 13, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Sigh, okay. I guess I can believe that after having a pizza party and naming a dog, Obama flew under his own power to the boat deck, shot three privates, er, pirates with a sniper rifle, and saved the Captain. Then flew back to D.C. to do something ghey with Easter Eggs.
Why the heck not? He is the One after all.
mjk on April 13, 2009 at 3:01 PM
A week late but only the bad guys died…so let him have his fun.
tomas on April 13, 2009 at 3:01 PM
One of the reporters should have asked him about housing.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:01 PM
Isn’t privacy guaranteed by the 14th amendment?
I am sure his “Muslim faith” makes him feel that way.
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:02 PM
The bad part is if he starts thinking he is lincoln again.
tomas on April 13, 2009 at 3:02 PM
Credit where credit is due…during the credit crisis?
portlandon on April 13, 2009 at 3:02 PM
So… Bush doctrine?
MarcusBrody on April 13, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Did he say, “Privacy”…?
d1carter on April 13, 2009 at 3:03 PM
“We are resolved to halt the rise of privacy…”
Did TOTUS just say that?
Yes.He.Did.
Christien on April 13, 2009 at 3:03 PM
I take it you heard Rush criticize Jonah?
I mean, this isn’t 3rd hand, right? An email to Jonah, who didn’t hear it, posted here unheard as well…
Regardless, NRO has posted other emails that are less controversial about what Rush said. So anyone interested can read the follow-up there.
Spirit of 1776 on April 13, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Oh, and as for people being pissed at Obama getting credit… It’s because he’s being given credit that’s annoying. He didn’t do anything, and Jennifer Loven at the AP lit the match that started this praise Obama fire by insisting that Obama worked wonders in his first foreign policy hurdle. Um, has Loven or the rest of the paid any attention to anything that’s gone on over the past couple of months, not the least of which was getting virtually nothing at G20?
RightWinged on April 13, 2009 at 3:04 PM
Republicans shouldn’t be afraid to give Obama credit to deserve it…This insistence on party line constant criticism needs to stop. The military should be the decisions when it’s their right to do so…No input from Obama is needed. Especially since he has absolutely no military expertise.
therightwinger on April 13, 2009 at 3:04 PM
*when he deserves it..wow
therightwinger on April 13, 2009 at 3:05 PM
The guy behind Obama, the the photo, is looking at his butt. Everyone is always looking at Obama’s butt. I think he has a tail.
BuckNutty on April 13, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Heh.
capitalist piglet on April 13, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Gald to hear I wasn’t the only one to hear “privacy”. What a dunce. He did want any other president would have done, only 3 days later. The military did their job. They are the ones that I admire.
quint906 on April 13, 2009 at 3:06 PM
Obama is at his best when he sits in the Sand Box with Hilliary.
Firebird on April 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Now that was funny!
capitalist piglet on April 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Oh, not at all, not at all. We have the Frumian way actually, create offense and claim victimhood.
My higher respect goes to those who got the facts before praising Obama (which seems unwarranted) or condemning (which seems unwarranted).
Spirit of 1776 on April 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM
As Rush always says, “It’s not what he says or what he does. It’s how he says it.”
Obama will continue to bumble. All the MSM are trying to paint Obama as the hero and not the Navy Seals nor the captain. We know the truth. It’s time for our side to stop trying to be “cool” and “hip” in congratulating Obama, when he had nothing to do with this rescue.
jencab on April 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM
And it grows everytime he lies so must be getting pretty big by now.
deidre on April 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM
President Obama “resolved to halt privacy.”
Christien on April 13, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Jonah Goldberg initially said:
Obama “permitted” the rescue. He “approved” negotiation. An important distinction. However, Jonah’s follow-up seems to redeem him.
gh on April 13, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Maybe we are just mad that Bush got 0.00% credit for any successful military action while 100.00% of blame for any unsuccessful action.
Speedwagon82 on April 13, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Not Bush – President Reagan.
But don’t throw flowers at his feet just yet.
madmonkphotog on April 13, 2009 at 3:09 PM
“Halt the rise of privacy?”
canditaylor68 on April 13, 2009 at 3:09 PM
He is not a Muslim.
blatantblue on April 13, 2009 at 3:10 PM
Obama didn’t screw up, and for me, that’s enough.
jacrews on April 13, 2009 at 3:10 PM
Congrats to the military for doing a fine job and thanks to the Administration for staying out of the way. Pity that they’ll probably learn little from this experience.
And Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys…just saying.
Asher on April 13, 2009 at 3:10 PM
As you must be aware, mwdiver was referring to Obama’s own slip, referring to “my Muslim faith”.
capitalist piglet on April 13, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Hey, how do you say “I’m gonna kick those privates in their pirates” in Austrian?
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:11 PM
You give credit…but if the guy makes himself out to be a hero and puts politics into it…like dems try to do in these situations…you point it out. They feel the need to pump themselves up and cheat on the resume.
tomas on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
No. But what that person said was certainly true. The left absolutely did that, msm, hollywood, dailykos and everyone else in between. Although it took time to build to quite that crescendo, and we certainly have those on the right kicking things off.
Dash on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
HE SAID PRIVACY! Boy I can’t wait for all the “nonpartisan” comedians like Jon Stewart to obsess about that for months!
Speedwagon82 on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
I give him credit for utilizing the GWB-era trained Navy to get the job done.
ladyingray on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Obama will send money to be used by radicals, JUST LIKE our 900 BILLION he’s already sent to Hamas. Grrrrr.
marklmail on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
You do realize this is his first public statement about it since it began, right? Now that it’s politically safe to do so. The question is whether covering his own ass is in the best interests of the country he’s governing.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Fixed, and if he’s smart, what he’s really thinking.
MadisonConservative on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Obviously you missed the reference to the time he spoke of his “Muslim fath.” Thus the quote marks.
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
How sad is it when people are congratulating the POTUS for letting the military do their thing? Seriously…
My boss doesn’t congratulate me every time I do what I’m supposed to do–because she expects it. Why should I do the same for Obama, especially when it looks like he hindered the initial rescue efforts?
I’ll congratulate him when he does something praiseworthy.
youngTXcon on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Yea everything just clicked for me.
Sorry about that mwdiver. I’m a bit slow on the uptake sometimes.
blatantblue on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
I give him credit for utilizing the GWB-era trained Navy that he inherited to get the job done.
ladyingray on April 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Fixed it myself.
ladyingray on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Actually, in the video here he behaves quite well. It is the idiot media and his army of sycophants, which is annoying.
gh on April 13, 2009 at 3:13 PM
Treach, out of the Green Room list, you are the only one I would have chosen, because you are good at finding the funny angle and asking the sometimes unpredictable question.
BigD on April 13, 2009 at 3:14 PM
*lol*
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:14 PM
I wonder if those pirates were informed of their Miranda and Habeus Corpus rights under our world-wide Constitution. Sounds to me like the tyrant
BushObama just ordered them to be killed without giving them a fair trial.Good Lt on April 13, 2009 at 3:15 PM
That picture is seriously hilarious! His smile to those kids is priceless!
deidre on April 13, 2009 at 3:15 PM
You mean he never came out and much a statement of solidarity with the crew and the captain’s family?
Never promised to bring the pirates to justice?
Spirit of 1776 on April 13, 2009 at 3:15 PM
And the left was incapable of giving any credit on anything really. It bugs me, but I don’t want to be them either.
msmveritas on April 13, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Not a problem.
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:17 PM
We should all thank Obama for allowing the standing Rules Of Engagement to remain in effect. I think what Rush bemoans is the way the media is ALREADY spinning this as an Obama-led victory, and the way Obama will use that boost in his popularity to push through stuff that’s bad for us.
hawksruleva on April 13, 2009 at 3:17 PM
I may be wrong, but doesn’t it seem like he’s reading from a teleprompter? I mean, he’s got that looking to the left, looking to the right thing going on…
RedbonePro on April 13, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Are you suggesting he should have had a press conference earlier? He’d probably have got grief for that too.
gh on April 13, 2009 at 3:18 PM
This turned out good, so props to whomever deserves it, mainly the Navy. But, unless i’m mistaken, has anyone noticed that pirate attacks on US vessels were conspicuously absent during the dreaded Bush years?
Erich66 on April 13, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Obama did nothing but sit around and hope.
Various reports make it sound that the rules of engagement issued to the the guys doing the work were as restrictive as they could be short of capitulation, leaving Bama an out if Phillips were killed.
Indeed, under Gore, we may not have had people around like the Seals who despatched the pirates with such precision. When Bama is finished as POTUS, such fine troops may still be around but limited to slingshots so as to pay for welfare.
A very mince Easter present, however, soemthing to celebrate and perhaps a very good lesson for Bama as to who is real friends are.
Harry Schell on April 13, 2009 at 3:18 PM
I give him credit for this, although I did read somewhere that the Navy had to ask 3 times before they got authority. It’s one of those situations that required some patience and time to allow things to be put into place, so I’ll give him that too. And if he lets the Navy proceed in hunting down these idiots that’s even better.
Zing!
scalleywag on April 13, 2009 at 3:18 PM
He is speaking, so “Yes, for $100 Alex.”
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:19 PM
I didn’t know Obama didn’t order the attack. That is somewhat disappointing, but I like this side of Obama much better than the one he’s shown against North Korea.
Esthier on April 13, 2009 at 3:19 PM
I’m glad this was resolved as it was. Having said that, imagine the rection of the left had Bush “ordered” this.
They’d be calling for war crimes tribunals and wondering why we didn’t allow for negotiations.
JammieWearingFool on April 13, 2009 at 3:20 PM
I just hope he doesn’t commit troops to the ground.
ugh please don’t try to be the “Tough Guy,” and send in some contingent.
Mogadishu ’93 — Part II.
blatantblue on April 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM
I am seeing the evolution of the Obama Doctrine.
Go to Europe and quit giving speeches on the economy and stock market rally.
Sit in White House eating pizza and deciding on a dog while letting the military do what they are trained to do and we have success.
Dear Barry O, Have you not figured it out yet? What you don’t mess with, try to change, or verbally assault somehow magically fixes itself or works out to the good.
Please for the sake of the country, SDSTFU and as a consequence you may have the most successful presidency evah.
Just A Grunt on April 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Congratulating Obama for being against piracy is kind of like congratulating your local chief of police for being against crime. I mean, shouldn’t it go without saying that the President of the United States is against piracy?!?
That we even HAVE to congratulate Obama for taking such a no-brainer position is evidence of a pretty weak president, imo.
JohnTant on April 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Ha! I see that Obama is bowing to the Easter egg roll kiddies, no doubt in an attempt to show that he does this bowing thing all the time (scroll down for photo…)
Buy Danish on April 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Notice how our trolls are absent while they get their posting points how to 1) spin this as Barry’s victory, and 2) remind everyone that Bush halted privacy.
Christien on April 13, 2009 at 3:21 PM
Now THAT is an Obamateurism!
Put Che Guevara’s head over crossed nones, and Obama might look the other way….
Right_of_Attila on April 13, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Kudos to Obama for doing it right. Middle finger to the Media for continuing to think he can do no wrong. Now, if only we could convince him to do the right thing with taxes and government spending.
jimmy2shoes on April 13, 2009 at 3:22 PM
As long as the bad guys are dead and the Americans are alive – good for him. I am man enough to congratulate the President for gettting it right. I just suspect, I won’t be doing it often.
So hats off to you Mr. President, the good guys thank you!
matthew26 on April 13, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Agree 100%. He’d be ridiculed as the rogue cowboy who goes at everyone with guns a blazing.
Erich66 on April 13, 2009 at 3:24 PM
It is my own humble personal opinion that anyone, who thinks that Obama did the right thing in the pirate crisis, must have first pondered Obama doing the wrong thing . That one simple truth speaks volumes.
canditaylor68 on April 13, 2009 at 3:25 PM
When I first read Jonah’s post – after hearing about what happened – I thought the same thing; good job Mr. President for giving command authority and getting the heck out of the way!
He is the one who is in ultimately in charge – to take grief when it fails and to take praise when it succeeds. I am just glad he did this one right and let the folks who know what they are doing do their jobs. Now if he’d only do that more than once a presidential term…
kybowexar on April 13, 2009 at 3:26 PM
This reminds me of Bill Clinton smoking a cigar on the balcony of the White House “looking like Roosevelt” after Scott O’Grady got rescued from Bosnia (after a week of eating bugs).
Same media image.
BigD on April 13, 2009 at 3:26 PM
I’m suggesting that when he was asked about it, perhaps “Guys, we’re talking about housing” was not the best response.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:26 PM
When we start giving hero medals to folks for merely doing the basics of their job we will have become the Soviet Union, East Germany and Communist Romania combined.
“We have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise.”
Yes, let’s close the barn door after the horse has already made a break for the pasture.
Why not confront them well before they arise?
coldwarrior on April 13, 2009 at 3:27 PM
My thought exactly. At first it’s like, “That’s a weird pose.” Then you realize what he’s doing. If only he was as good at governing as covering his own butt.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:28 PM
I didn’t get your earlier joke until this comment. Brilliant.
BadgerHawk on April 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM
That Sarah Palin, now she’s for the rise of privacy…
Mister Ghost on April 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Obama’s not a tough guy, but he occasionally plays one on television.
flyfisher on April 13, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Great job President Obama.
getalife on April 13, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Conversation before the press conference:
Obama: We’re fighting piracy! Where are my buccaneers?
Aide: Sir. Underneath your buccanhatt!
pt on April 13, 2009 at 3:31 PM
And some common sense.
Since this pirate problem has been going on for over 2 years now and since we have US flagged ships moving through that area, my expectation would be that the Military Command already had a plan to address such a scenario because eventually it was going to be our turn.
What is interesting to me is that it was reported that this crew had training to address the hijacking and that seems to be what paid off. I heard a crew member say that the plan was for the Capt to get in the lifeboat and the ship to meet up with him later. I’d like to hear more about that scenario because I don’t see how that was just thought up on the spot and I wonder if our military is aware of this training and plans accordingly.
I think there’s a lot more interesting detail here than what Obama’s role was. He gave the okay, the military had a plan, he’s not going to second guess the military.
Texas Gal on April 13, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Which means he is doing what wrt the tugboat that was taken?
Dusty on April 13, 2009 at 3:33 PM
Ah yes. Forgot about that. It shows how much importance he attached to the whole thing. He should have been prepared with either a flat “no comment” or “I have confidence in…”.
gh on April 13, 2009 at 3:33 PM
That tugboat didn’t garner much media attention, so it is not a problem Obama needs to deal with. /s
coldwarrior on April 13, 2009 at 3:34 PM
We can only hope you are correct. Not counting on it.
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Your headline, LOL, is great and I’m at work. I can just hear him saying it.
PattyJ on April 13, 2009 at 3:34 PM
I hope you’re right, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s failed to listen to those with more wisdom and experience.
Jim Treacher on April 13, 2009 at 3:34 PM
Well with Poke-ston falling apart and its fellow Muslin A-bomb state making atomic weapons for terrorism as we speak, fighting retarded starving pirates with 1905 British rifles is not that high on the defense-of-America list.
Guess which problem will be ignored?
TexasJew on April 13, 2009 at 3:35 PM
And I bet he had the same cheesy grin with the first bow, too! ;)
Califemme on April 13, 2009 at 3:35 PM
Maybe I missed the answer (didn’t read the whole thread), but I would dearly like to know why it was OK to blow these pirates away – to save one American’s life – but it’s criminal to waterboard one guy (who suffers no permanent injury) in order to save a bunch of American lives?
Just curious.
ManUFan on April 13, 2009 at 3:36 PM
The President just freed the Cuban people.
getalife on April 13, 2009 at 3:36 PM
He killed 3 muslems.
the_nile on April 13, 2009 at 3:36 PM
It would be pretty hard for him to listen to that many people at once …
gh on April 13, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Agreed as well. This was a no brainer. I’d expect any CIC to take out these jerks. No President can afford to cave into 4 guys in a John boat.
Erich66 on April 13, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Never confuse Liberalism and logic.
mwdiver on April 13, 2009 at 3:37 PM
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