Obamateurism of the Day
posted at 8:05 am on August 21, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
How hard is it to greet a group of rabbis when trying to sell health-care reform as a religious obligation? For one thing, you could just say, “Hello,” but that may not have the shmooze value of speaking Hebrew or Yiddish. Fortunately, the greeting “Shalom” pretty much works in every situation, but apparently Barack Obama decided to be a foigel — and wound up with egg on his punim:
The purpose of the call was for President Obama to enlist the rabbis to support his health-care reform efforts: “I am going to need your help in accomplishing necessary reform.” The reference to the “who shall live and who shall die” prayer was strange in two respects. First, as Paul Bedard noted, the Jewish New Year won’t take place until September 18th. In fact, today marks the beginning of the month of Elul, the last month before the New Year begins. And yet the president said “shanah tovah [happy new year] to all of you.” This is kind of like wishing people “Merry Christmas” on Thanksgiving.
Second, and more surprisingly, is this really the context in which he wishes to discuss health reform — a powerful and unseen being making determinations of life and death? One would think that he would want to avoid anything that could raise the specter of rationing, death panels, or the like.
Nor was that the only tone-deaf aspect of the call, as Washington Jewish Week reported:
Second, the hold music on the line, through no apparent fault of the White House or the Religious Action Center, which sponsored the call, was “Deutschland Über Alles.” A number of rabbis apparently expressed discomfort with this choice of music as well.
Next time, stick with Pachelbel’s Canon in D and a simple shalom, schmuck.
Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.
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You know who tried to coopt religion to sell socialism before it backfired? Chavez.
elduende on August 21, 2009 at 8:10 AM
Probably left over from the Bush days, you know, when the White House was under different management and the RAC just forgot to change it, that’s all.
manofaiki on August 21, 2009 at 8:12 AM
*cough* Pachelbel *cough*
rightside on August 21, 2009 at 8:12 AM
This man knows more about NASCAR than he does religion. Give me a break!
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:12 AM
wtf? Pachelbel Ed.
rightside on August 21, 2009 at 8:13 AM
Oy.
hillbillyjim on August 21, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Dear Leader considers it a success because TOTUS didn’t have the opening line of “Sieg Heil.”
Seriously, Deutschland Über Alles? WTF?!
Yet the opposition to the fascist-in-chief better not make any mention of Nazis.
rbj on August 21, 2009 at 8:15 AM
Oy gevalt!
Kafir on August 21, 2009 at 8:16 AM
Why the h*ll would a religious action center have THAT song as hold music? Oh and I kind of laughed when I read that. Even though it makes me uncomfortable in my apartment.
I had somebody wish me a Good Passover on Yom Kippur once. Some people are just stupid.
mjk on August 21, 2009 at 8:16 AM
I’m sorry, I can’t leave this alone. This is just too good to pass up.
We all know what a stirring religious song “Deutschland Über Alles” is, right? Why we used to sing that in my church all the time, just after Martin Luther’s immortal “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and just before Wesley’s “And Can It Be (That I Should Gain An Interest In The Savior’s Blood?)”
Perfectly understandable why a Religious Action Center would have a popular German hit from the 1930′s as one of the songs on their music menu.
It has a such a religious heritage behind it.
manofaiki on August 21, 2009 at 8:17 AM
“I am going to need your help in accomplishing necessary reform.”
If you don’t cooperate…you know that tax exempt status you receive…
NYconservative on August 21, 2009 at 8:17 AM
Wait, wait, if it wasn’t the action center or the White House’s fault for THAT music, whose was it? Who the H*ll would think that would be appropriate for a call with a bunch of rabbis?
mjk on August 21, 2009 at 8:17 AM
tembel!
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:18 AM
Sadly, my guess is: If you don’t cooperate, remember the last time this song was popular and who was in charge in Germany??? That didn’t turn out so well…. I’M KIDDING. Ish.
mjk on August 21, 2009 at 8:19 AM
has anyone polled these rabbis since the call? how did they like the “i am your partner with God…” quote?
kelley in virginia on August 21, 2009 at 8:19 AM
But, is OK to let taxpaying Grand Ma die of old age however we a morally obligated to treat wetbacks????????
“To quote blarney frankkk “What planet is this SCHMUCK from”?
Col.John Wm. Reed on August 21, 2009 at 8:19 AM
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:18 AM
are you feeling better today?
SHARPTOOTH on August 21, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Wow! Somebody needs some coffee this morning.
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Old Rich Little routine. Nixon is preparing to meet Golda Meir, and his briefer is George Jessel:
At least the visitors didn’t leave when the current president said “Happy New Year.”
apostic on August 21, 2009 at 8:22 AM
This may the funniest Obamateurism we’ve had yet.
Every time this bunch tries to show how clever they are they end up stepping in it.
BigD on August 21, 2009 at 8:22 AM
If my facts are correct,the Israels were not impressed,
when Obama wanted a photo-op at their Western Wall!!
canopfor on August 21, 2009 at 8:22 AM
This seems very strange. the only way to know this is if the words were sung, as the current German National Anthem uses trhe same melody, which was written by Haydn in 1797 and called “Das Lied der Deutschen.” The words are now different in the current national Anthem.
Loxodonta on August 21, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Every day I give thanks for having the smartest, most eloquent president ever. And I am pretty sure pundits (but not comedians) join me.
Cindy Munford on August 21, 2009 at 8:22 AM
Sounds like the “klutz” has wee weed again.
Rovin on August 21, 2009 at 8:23 AM
sleepy as hell!
man
it was so hot last night, no ac in the room
i woke up and was like
wow, what in the wee wee’d is going on? its just so hot!@
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:24 AM
+1 I think
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:24 AM
and if the White House can’t control the “hold” music, then i want them controlling my national security?
kelley in virginia on August 21, 2009 at 8:24 AM
This guy is a complete disaster, and we are now witnessing the train wreck in slow motion.
And true to form, as much as we may want to turn our heads, we find that we cannot turn our heads away from the carnage.
singlemalt_18 on August 21, 2009 at 8:25 AM
The filthy liar is still in campaign mode. He greets a NASCAR driver, he’s Mr. NASCAR. He talks to a bunch of Jews, he throws in some Yiddish words some staffer found on Wikipedia. It’s all about appearing to be the smartest kid in the room but it backfires miserably when it becomes clear it is just an act.
That the hold music happened to be Nazi marching music just adds the right touch for this to be the Obamatuerism of the Week.
highhopes on August 21, 2009 at 8:26 AM
We are witnessing the Obama administration in a death spiral. Who would have though he could have accomplished this so quickly.
Who will he begin throwing out the door to save himself? Somebody has to be blamed. It’s not his fault.
No parachutes.
Besides, God is his copilot. /sarc
Yoop on August 21, 2009 at 8:26 AM
my husband comes home from work in the evenings & doesn’t believe all the stupid things bambi says during the day. i mean, he doesn’t believe me when i tell him–think about it, could an educated man/President be so stupid?
so my husband heard the “wee-wee’d” quote this a.m. on CSPAN.
the look of shock/terror on his face. priceless
kelley in virginia on August 21, 2009 at 8:28 AM
is he too tired at night to wee wee’d?
lol i have no idea what wee wee’d is
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:30 AM
I would think the filthy liar would be more respected if he went with “hello” rather than trying to throw in Hebrew vocabulary. After all, he isn’t Jewish!
highhopes on August 21, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Ed, the melody for “Deutschland Uber Alles” is also used for the Protestant hymn, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken.” Lyrics were written in 1779 by Anglican. Set to Haydn’s tune, “Austria.”
Wethal on August 21, 2009 at 8:32 AM
More evidence that this administration can not be bothered with details. These people will be in charge of our medical records. Someone is going to go in for a knee replacement and come out without a kidney.
sherry on August 21, 2009 at 8:33 AM
my husband didn’t know what “wee wee’d” meant either except in children urinating context.
our president is a dip sh*t. we all know what that means.
kelley in virginia on August 21, 2009 at 8:33 AM
Obama never catches a break. Look, on the positive, glass-is-half-full side, it could have been much worse; they could have had “Springtime for Hitler”, from The Producers as their hold music.
I mean, it’s not like this Administration is a complete failure.
cruadin on August 21, 2009 at 8:33 AM
I would think it is in referenced to a potty training child that is being taught. You know do you need to..?
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:34 AM
All I want to know is…what’s Yiddish for “Happy Trails Mr. Obama”……2012 can’t come soon enough.
Rovin on August 21, 2009 at 8:34 AM
if the president only knew how to show some humility, he would be forgiven (by the real public–us) for his stupid comments.
kelley in virginia on August 21, 2009 at 8:34 AM
I’m not housebroken, so I’m not one to discuss potty training with.
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:35 AM
Verb 1. wee-wee – eliminate urine; “Again, the cat had made on the expensive rug”
make water, micturate, pass water, pee, pee-pee, relieve oneself, spend a penny, take a leak, piss, wee, urinate, piddle, puddle, make
urinate – pass after the manner of urine; “The sick men urinated blood”
wet – make one’s bed or clothes wet by urinating; “This eight year old boy still wets his bed”
stale – urinate, of cattle and horses
egest, excrete, eliminate, pass – eliminate from the body; “Pass a kidney stone”
ca-ca, crap, defecate, take a crap, take a shit, shit, stool, make – have a bowel movement; “The dog had made in the flower beds”
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:36 AM
He’ll try the distraction technique first. A whole kennel of Portugese Water Dog puppies in the West Wing. Michelle Obama’s exercise DVD for killer arms. Joe Biden on a national speaking tour.
Then, if all that fails the bodys will be stacked like cordwood if necessary to keep the filthy liar afloat.
highhopes on August 21, 2009 at 8:36 AM
And then they track it all over the White House. Not even enough sense to scrape their shoes at the door.
What’s the current Urban Slang word for uber dolts? WEE-WEES just doesn’t seem to cover it.
Yoop on August 21, 2009 at 8:36 AM
The American people are the ones who need a “reset button.”
Maybe the networks can just start playing Benny Hill music and run the clips in fast-motion whenever they report on The Jug-eared One.
It couldn’t hurt.
hillbillyjim on August 21, 2009 at 8:36 AM
Guess he’s all wee weed up.
ctmom on August 21, 2009 at 8:37 AM
I’m not doubting you.
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:37 AM
Exactly my thought.
BigD on August 21, 2009 at 8:37 AM
This is what happens when you’re a phoney yourself and you surround yourself with dolts.
My favorite Yiddish words, because of their very sound, are putz and gonif (sp.?). In this guy, Obama, we got both.
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 8:37 AM
Why didn’t he just say, “Gentlemen, start your engines!”
ladyingray on August 21, 2009 at 8:38 AM
If the filthy liar had humility, he wouldn’t be in these situations in the first place. His narcissism and arrogance are doing as much damage to his image as his failed policies.
highhopes on August 21, 2009 at 8:38 AM
This I knew,but there are about 10,000 other hymns that could have been used.
Creepy beyond belief!
katy the mean old lady on August 21, 2009 at 8:38 AM
What a yutz. This is the Great Orator? Obama doesn’t view faith as a way to live your life, a system of morals and ehtics. He views it as a means to an end, a way to further his stuggle for power and control. And following the example of Barack the Magnificent, I want to wish you all a Happy Easter!
kingsjester on August 21, 2009 at 8:39 AM
What’s the second one mean?
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:39 AM
BB,
“There is something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee weed up!”…..Barack Obama
Rovin on August 21, 2009 at 8:39 AM
Is not Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm “The Fish” Emanuel Jewish? My God you think they give this Havard grad a crash course in the jewish faith. As Ed said “schmuck”. Myself I would say what a Scaramouch.
USMCDevilDog on August 21, 2009 at 8:40 AM
And the leading entry for the ‘Obamaturism of the Year’ award is….
….
‘Second, the hold music on the line, through no apparent fault of the White House or the Religious Action Center, which sponsored the call, was “Deutschland Über Alles.” A number of rabbis apparently expressed discomfort with this choice of music as well.’
percysunshine on August 21, 2009 at 8:40 AM
This man knows more about NASCAR than he does religion. Give me a break!
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:12 AM
True, and he doesn’t know squat about NASCAR.
Ordinary American on August 21, 2009 at 8:40 AM
Schmuck also applies.
katy the mean old lady on August 21, 2009 at 8:41 AM
How…? Wait, so… What???
Jim Treacher on August 21, 2009 at 8:41 AM
Karma’s a beeyatch!
WTF? Not even California Uber Alles? I suppose you save that one for the conference call with Teddy.
Mr Purple on August 21, 2009 at 8:42 AM
I am an academic, and it is infuriating how many people at my university were convinced Bush is a total idiot (and said so many times in crude, blunt terms), yet still view Obama as some kind of super genius. Incidents like this one just wash over them like water off a duck’s back. They already have the Truth, further data are irrelevant.
On topic, I really don’t think Barry likes Jewish people.
jwolf on August 21, 2009 at 8:43 AM
thanks for the link
i saw that yesterday tho
i just dont understand the origins of this phrase
wee wee’d
blatantblue on August 21, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Agreed. Very bad judgment. No doubt because so few people in the Obama White House have regularly attended church, and would know a basic Christian hymnal.
Or they are as ignorant of history as Obama, and didn’t know the Nazi anthem when they heard it.
Wethal on August 21, 2009 at 8:44 AM
“Deutschland Über Alles.” C’mon! Proof there is a God,.. and that he has a sense of humor!
Alden Pyle on August 21, 2009 at 8:45 AM
I’d rather have my president say misunderestimated, than wee wee’d.
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:45 AM
By the way, is anyone else creeped out by Obama’s reference to himself as “partner with God in matters of life and death?” I mean, I knew he had a big ego, but …?
jwolf on August 21, 2009 at 8:45 AM
See above. The melody is an old one, also used for a Protestant Christian hymn. The one hymn they shouldn’t have chosen, they choose.
Wethal on August 21, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Maybe we can just start refering to the whole damn bunch of them as:
Wee-Wees: the gang who couldn’t pee straight.
[ I was going to use
shoot straightbefore pee, but there would be complaints about another gun thread. ;-) ]Yoop on August 21, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Theif, if I remember correctly.
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 8:46 AM
Of course, choosing Christian hymns while having a group of Jewish rabbis on hold is itself in poor taste.
Someone must have said, “Get us a recording of ‘religious’ music for the hold.”
Wethal on August 21, 2009 at 8:47 AM
You just can’t throw things out there like that early in the morning. I do not want to think too hard. By the way, what area of Texas are you from?
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:48 AM
Thief.
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 8:49 AM
Fess-up Ed. Who’s your source for the mamaloschen? Or are you a closet landsman?
JiangxiDad on August 21, 2009 at 8:50 AM
Ed – have you confirmed this?
I ask because Ben Smith’s article at Politco linked to Moline’s Twitter account has a strange apology to ignore his tweets from that afternoon (which is the source of the Deutschland Uber Alles report).
From Moline’s Twiiter Account:
“My lack of tech literacy results in a huge mistake — apologies to all for my tweets this afternoon. They have been deleted.6:10 PM Aug 19th from web”
Mr Purple on August 21, 2009 at 8:50 AM
Would someone deign to reprint the actual quote, please?
Akzed on August 21, 2009 at 8:51 AM
Maybe wee weed up has something to do with Chris Matthews.
derft on August 21, 2009 at 8:51 AM
Apart from being a world class schmuck Obama has shown us these past 7 months he is a schlemiel as well.
elduende on August 21, 2009 at 8:53 AM
No. Thief is “gonif.” “Foigel” is smart-alec.
JiangxiDad on August 21, 2009 at 8:53 AM
The on-hold music should have been Lies by the Buckinghams or Liar by Three Dog Night.
kingsjester on August 21, 2009 at 8:53 AM
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/08/21/richard-cohens-wild-moose-chas#comment_113210
I won’t make this a habit but I saw this comment over at American Spectator that was awesome and had to post it here:
Appleby| 8.21.09 @ 7:01AM
There are a lot of people out there who think YOU SUCK! is an argument. They are the Woodstock idiots who retain a touching faith that they can continue to whirl out of control and a critical mass of adults remains to pluck them safe and unharmed from the storm.
We adults are up in the bleachers anticipating the Woodstock Katrina and the discovery by The Kids that they are impotent against natures fury, too, and that they rely once again on the adults, members of the hated church and despised Establishment, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted and watch with the dying — not to mention pluck the stupid off their roof and prosecute the looters (who are in fact these same Woodstock Hippies.)
Only this time we are up in the bleachers at a NA$CAR race waiting for the big crash and fully aware that there are no fences between us and the flying debris.
Goodeye_Closed on August 21, 2009 at 8:54 AM
TXUS–Sorry,misread ur comment.
JiangxiDad on August 21, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Live about half the time in Houston, the other half on my ranch in South Texas? You?
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 8:55 AM
I live pretty close to Tyler.
TXMomof3 on August 21, 2009 at 8:56 AM
This is just the latest in a looong string of contradictions on the health care issue.
-He wants the people opposing him to get out of the way, but he supports a robust debate.
-The people in the town halls are shutting down healthy debate, but he wanted a bill passed before and town halls could be held.
-He says he won’t sign a bill that adds to the deficit, but he can’t counter the CBO numbers and won’t tell us what his funding mechanism will be, but still wanted a bill passed before August.
-Uses the USPS as an example of how the private can compete against the public. But if the private enterprises are run better (even against the public monopoly) why would Americans support wasting money on the public option? And if you believe the public option can be run better than the private, why not just go whole hog and support single payer?
There’s more, but those are some of the most blatant, and why Americans are less and less likely to buy President Obama’s garbage, despite what he says about Republican opposition.
BadgerHawk on August 21, 2009 at 8:57 AM
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0809/A_call_with_the_rabbinate.html
That’s the link to Ben Smith’s article.
In the article there is a link to ‘Moline’s Feed’ that link to the Twitter account that is supposed to be the source for the Deutschland Uber Alles claim.\
It just seems a bit too much. It wouldn’t surprise me – just googled the ‘deutschland uber alles’ phrase in the nes section and only say this one ‘tweet’ being the source. Nothing else seems to verify it.
Mr Purple on August 21, 2009 at 8:57 AM
I don’t care about them using Christian hymns. Some of them are gorgeous.
But seriously, if that was the hold music for me, I’d hang up and spend the rest of my life screening my calls. Why don’t they just have some people dress up like Nazis and come goosestepping in? For some reason, THAT song is a little bit touchy for me…..
mjk on August 21, 2009 at 8:57 AM
nes = news for people like me who can’t type.
Mr Purple on August 21, 2009 at 8:58 AM
No problema. And I’m gonna add foigel to my limited vocab. Another great word.
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 8:59 AM
Oh yeah, the most blatant contradiction:
Telling the American people you can cover more people for less money with no reduction in quality, and that it won’t lead to rationing.
BadgerHawk on August 21, 2009 at 8:59 AM
He!! they could have at least played some Neil Diamond or Al Jolson since they were pandering anyway, thems some good ol’ jewboyz.
thomasaur on August 21, 2009 at 9:01 AM
As I wrote above, the melody is very old. It’s still used as the melody for the German national anthem, but with different words. However, the notion that a phone company would select such music to use as hold music for anyone seems either extremely insensitive or purposefully taunting, given the horrifying associations with the melody from WWII.
Loxodonta on August 21, 2009 at 9:03 AM
When the filthy liar has his judgement day, he will expect God to thank him for taking the meeting.
More seriously, I get creeped out whenever the filthy liar uses religious references. We all know that his Chicago church was a nest of racists far far far from what a Christian church should be. We know that he paid a lot of lip service to faith but never goes to services. I’ve got to believe that the filthy liar uses religion as a political prop rather than any profound belief in worship of anybody but himself.
highhopes on August 21, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Yes but:
Cover-up !!!
gh on August 21, 2009 at 9:03 AM
There’s only two Jews I’ll listen to.
The first is of course, Our Lord Jesus Christ
another I enjoy listening to is this man. He knows a lot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ5c6hxqXq4&feature=channel
Jeff from WI on August 21, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Im creeped out definitely. I didnt like the “bearing false witness” comment either. Is he calling all of us sinners because we dont want healthcare?
becki51758 on August 21, 2009 at 9:04 AM
http://twitter.com/jlm548
Moline’s Twitter account.
The ‘Duetschland Uber Alles’ report sounds like it may have been a joke or a non-serious tweet. It now appears to have been deleted.
It would be ironic as hell – but that’s almost too unbelievable. I’m skeptical without additional confirmation.
Mr Purple on August 21, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Beautiful country up there. Once spent a couple of months in Tyler but went all over around there. Love the lakes… Palestine and Tyler.
TXUS on August 21, 2009 at 9:08 AM
Hey,I think you’re onto something! The actual title of the Benny Hill Theme is Yakity Sax popularized by Boots Randolph. Here’s a version you can launch anytime you wish. Anytime Obama spouts an Obamateurism or fails at self-deprecating humor, like he did with Jimmie Johnson at the White House, you can link to this little ditty. Everybody recognizes it as the Benny Hill Theme and gets an image of a distracted white guy chasing around lingerie models way out of his league.
Heh! Can you imagine if Yakity Sax is newly associated with Obama AND Benny Hill? LOL
ExpressoBold on August 21, 2009 at 9:09 AM
Exactly. This new progressive playbook has been first tried in Latin America and is now being applied here.
promachus on August 21, 2009 at 9:12 AM
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