Video: Time for another Mao-quoting Obama aide
posted at 8:23 pm on October 20, 2009 by Allahpundit
Meet Ron Bloom, your friendly neighborhood manufacturing czar. This was sent to us last night, then I forgot about it, and now that it’s posted at Ace’s I’m realizing why I forgot: There’s so little context that it’s hard to tell what his ultimate point is, really. To me, it sounds like he’s building to a “but,” and in any case, when he talks about power coming from the barrel of a gun, there’s no reason to think he’s not speaking metaphorically (i.e. political success depends more on strength and aggression than reasonableness and compromise). He also founded an investment banking firm before joining the Steelworkers, so he and the chairman clearly have their share of disagreements too. Besides, the most objectionable part of what Anita Dunn did wasn’t quoting Mao or even saying that she agreed with a statement of his; it was that she called him one of her favorite philosophers. Even in a best-case scenario where she really was joking, that’s an awfully cavalier joke coming from a presidential advisor.
Needless to say, if a Republican advisor ever began a sentence with, oh, “We agree with Senator Joe McCarthy that…”, you could pretty much stop the presses right there.
Blowback
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I heard this on Beck and must admit I felt it ended to soon. Not that I am not willing to dislike Mr. Bloom but there needs to be more of the speech.
Cindy Munford on October 20, 2009 at 8:25 PM
Saw this on Lou Dobbs tonight, another winner.
karlant on October 20, 2009 at 8:27 PM
What’s with the Mao fever at the White House? OK, he was a communist and I know that’s popular with those people but come on. He was a mass murderer and quite possibly a psychopath.
I suspect he watched too much Fox News too.
Anders on October 20, 2009 at 8:28 PM
OT: I don’t like this new Homo-erotic Hot Air.
Anybody else getting the “get ripped” ads with shirtless men?
Joe Caps on October 20, 2009 at 8:28 PM
Mao and Che are common heroes of the left. T
CWforFreedom on October 20, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Obambi and his Mao Mao cabinet.
Mojave Mark on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
It’s not that one single video is repulsive. Adding them all together (and just imagine how many more there are to come or that we will never know about) makes this entire administration completely worrisome.
txag92 on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
If you can’t find the big problem with an unelected unaccountable czar quoting Mao about force at the end of a gun barrel maybe it’s time to retire. Really.
chicagojedi on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
LOL of course. I think my wife likes them.
CWforFreedom on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
It’s slightly better than the ‘extra ball room’ jeans ads i saw here a few days ago. Those were just strange.
Monica on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Kind of like percolated coffee as opposed to instant, let the aroma waft around the whole house until people start waking up.
thomasaur on October 20, 2009 at 8:31 PM
Andrea Mitchell was right: Soros isn’t that far left.
Compared to Mao, that is (?????)
Liam on October 20, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Rush played it up today.
John the Libertarian on October 20, 2009 at 8:32 PM
So, he is ok with the murder of the 50-70,000,000 innocents that Mao slaughtered??
I guess so.
Well, Bill Ayers said also that 25 million American capitalists will have to be executed. So, there you go.
Funny,, homeland security thinks returning Vets, Tea Partiers, Libertarians and pro life people are a threat to America. But government leaders who support another government leader that actually took over a nation and killed millions is not. We’ll be waiting for that new Homeland Security Report labeling these guys as a threat.
JellyToast on October 20, 2009 at 8:33 PM
Yeah, I saw that when I was on a business call today. It was grotesque. I thought those guys had backed off the circus freak bulk.
John the Libertarian on October 20, 2009 at 8:33 PM
I pretty much agree with Mao on this one.
All political power does begin at the barrel of a gun.
Which is why we have the 2nd Amendment.
billy on October 20, 2009 at 8:34 PM
I do have a question to ask though. How come liberal all but want the earlier explorers and the founding fathers reduced to footnotes in the history of the United States because of the treatment of natives and the ownership of slaves, but take out millions upon millions of people shrine time? Che, Mao, Castro, etc. etc. were all just doing what they had to do to meet a goal our guys were creeps.
Cindy Munford on October 20, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Mao is generally less well-known than Stalin. Also, the Soviet Union collapsed, making it a little less trendy as a source for political philosophy ;-)
hawksruleva on October 20, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Particularly since Mao was as much a philosopher as Hitler or Stalin. They were political ideologues. For that matter so was FDR, or the Federalists. They express a political point of view which is entirely different than philosophy.
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 8:35 PM
When I was a kid
I always wanted to grow up to be like Mao.
blatantblue on October 20, 2009 at 8:36 PM
I seriously wonder how many pieces of communist/marxist/maoist literature there is at the White House. You know there has to be some.
Joe Caps on October 20, 2009 at 8:36 PM
And where is the Che love in this administration???
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 8:36 PM
No no. My favorite is the “extra long t-shirts that hide plumber crack.
Weight of Glory on October 20, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Meh, another blogger who doesn’t deserve to be named tried to link McCain and Gingrich to Mao simply because they quoted him. There’s a difference between quoting him and outright stating that he’s a super guy who you look up to, this seems to be more of a quote so no biggie.
clearbluesky on October 20, 2009 at 8:37 PM
I guess I should see if the rest of the speech is available somewhere, will it stand up to a fact check by CNN? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Cindy Munford on October 20, 2009 at 8:37 PM
I honestly think that there is a czar somewhere in this administration that is preparing the Obama version of Mao’s little red book.
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Liberals like Che Mao and Stalin because they’re not American. Any enemy of America is a friend of the Left, because they’re full of self-loathing and guilt about this nation. By the same token, they like Palestine because America supports Israel, and they like Cuba because it stood up to America.
Never mind that America is better to CUBANS than Cuba is. Or that China is willing to run over students with tanks. The important thing is that they are united with the left in believing America needs to be humbled.
hawksruleva on October 20, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Another one?
Oh My.
I normally like to read the Sunday funnies on Sunday, NOT every freaking day of the week just casually glancing at the ‘Won’.
/absolutely snarcless
Blacksmith8 on October 20, 2009 at 8:40 PM
You wanted to be a short fat Chinese political leader?
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Soon enough Obama’s Czars and cabinet members will stop speaking altogether lest they say something foolish. And honest.
DerKrieger on October 20, 2009 at 8:41 PM
It’s like he got the red army in the white house..
the_nile on October 20, 2009 at 8:42 PM
No. It’s just you Dude.
Blacksmith8 on October 20, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Real comment from HuffPost about Anita Dunn’s comments on Mao:
Those people never cease to amaze me.
Joe Caps on October 20, 2009 at 8:42 PM
It is in his old campaign offices for sure
CWforFreedom on October 20, 2009 at 8:42 PM
yep!
and kill everyone!
you’re lucky. couple months ago, all i was getting was gay cruise ads.
blatantblue on October 20, 2009 at 8:43 PM
He may want to rethink that whole “barrel of a gun” thingy.
Star20 on October 20, 2009 at 8:45 PM
They believe that political power comes from the barrel of a gun?
I always thought in a free society political power came in the form of a voting booth.
iceman1960 on October 20, 2009 at 8:46 PM
This is from a 4 part series
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28gPpQbRmEY
The whole tone of that speech was thuggish
macncheez on October 20, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Indeed. And you know there was nothing really wrong with the Soviet Union either. Yes, ok they did murder 100 million of their own citizens but I am telling you the only reason it wasn’t Utopia was because of Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.
Anders on October 20, 2009 at 8:46 PM
That molested children.
Aviator on October 20, 2009 at 8:49 PM
This information is new to me, I heard it in passing last night. Just when I thought I couldn’t dislike him any more.
Cindy Munford on October 20, 2009 at 8:53 PM
Don’t get wee-wee’d about the Mao-Mao.
Little Boomer on October 20, 2009 at 8:53 PM
I can’t wait until the next ‘czar’ says, “You know Mussolini? He was a snappy dresser AND he made the trains run on time. You got to hand it that man.”
Anders on October 20, 2009 at 8:55 PM
I agree with me that these people are scum.
LibTired on October 20, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Don’t forget the OathKeepers
http://oathkeepers.org/oath/
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Check out 3rd paragraph
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20104202,00.html
macncheez on October 20, 2009 at 8:59 PM
The story of mao that the Obama guys love is the part when he and the nationalist Chinese army that America supplied both fought Japanese Army units but never cooperated with each other. Mao would first win over the poor peasants and his was closer to a democratic force in his recruiting methods, while the Nationalists wanted to be the Emperor of China’s replacement and had no mercy or time for poor peasants. Anyway, Mao’s methods worked in the end and he took the whole enchilada, except for Taiwan.The Obama guys envy Mao’s sudden and total victory so much that they really do not blame him for the mass killings that always go along with a Communist take over.
jimw on October 20, 2009 at 8:59 PM
That sounds like the start of a song.
Colbyjack on October 20, 2009 at 8:59 PM
I don’t think these people really know much about Mao at all. I think they’re the type who say “Wow, Jean-Luc Godard is a Maoist, Maoism must be way cool!” Just generic, empty-headed lefties.
ddrintn on October 20, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Good question. My 6yr old granddaughter didnt even know who Christopher Columbus was, and my 11yr old grandson said noone mentioned him on Columbus Day…Think I need to make a visist to his classroom…
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Real comment from HuffPost about Anita Dunn’s comments on Mao:
mommaserene
No, Hitler was NOT a genius, he was an idiot … and thank God for that! But his generals and scientists WERE geniuses and if he had listened to them, the NaZis might have actually won the war (or more likely, they would’ve delayed their inevitable defeat).
Tony737 on October 20, 2009 at 9:01 PM
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Have Obama, and his goons, declared mister Dobbs “not a real reporter”, yet?
Schadenfreude on October 20, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Oh, I think Hitler was a genius at manipulation, and Stalin and Mao were geniuses in their own way at organization. That doesn’t make the three any less evil though.
ddrintn on October 20, 2009 at 9:05 PM
Sure…that’s why Obama is NOT going to attend the 20 years anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, and of communism. He’s got more important things to do.
Schadenfreude on October 20, 2009 at 9:06 PM
*Sigh, trying again…
That’s why the One is not making an appearance at the anniversary of the Berlin Wall…
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 9:06 PM
Olby has been declaring that for the last 3 yrs
Olby doesn’t repeat WH talking points
Its the other way around
macncheez on October 20, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Hey, lovingmyUSA, we should go get lottery tickets. Look at the timing too :)
Schadenfreude on October 20, 2009 at 9:07 PM
Pretty amazing but I had to comment beyond the “Hilter gave good quotes” thing.
George Bernard Shaw was a committed communist (the idiot you pasted got that much right) but his will also said that no one should imply that he “accepted the beliefs of any specific religious organization, and that no memorial to him should “take the form of a cross or any other instrument of torture or symbol of blood sacrifice.”
I’m not seeing much here why a liberal wouldn’t be proudly quoting Shaw. How can you not be proudly liberal with a guy who refers to the cross as an instrument of torture instead of a symbol of salvation? Conversely, I used to use a Reagan quote at the bottom of my posts and stopped doing so because of the number of idiots who took offense to the idea of free market over governmental control and focused on that instead of anything I posted.
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 9:09 PM
Ron Bloom: “We kinda agree with Mao”
Murdering Dissenters or Raping 12 year old girls?
ZoneDaiatlas on October 20, 2009 at 9:10 PM
I think Hitler was a genius at manipulation – ddr
Agreed, but I’m glad he was, militarily speaking, a total knucklehead. “Hey, I got an idea! Let’s invade Russia!” Yeah, because it worked out so good for Napoleon! Dumbass. If he had listened to his generals and spent all of his time fighting the Western Allies instead of opening up the Eastern Front, he may have made it a lot harder for us to liberate Europe. Imagine if they had won the Battle of Britian and we had to invade from ICELAND! And thank God he didn’t listen to the scientists who told him their new JET planes oughta be used as bombers!
Tony737 on October 20, 2009 at 9:11 PM
Totally off topic, but I just heard that blowhard Bob Beckel say that Obama is the “greatest economic president since FDR.” What are these people smoking?!! How can anyone with even a modicum of intelligence take these people seriously?!
How many radicals can we fit into the White House? How many people have to lose their jobs before morons like Bob Beckel stop worshiping at the altar of Barack Obama?
Just wake me when it’s over.
alwaysright43 on October 20, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Ha, yes we should! I would have beaten you but for the slip of hitting “enter”! :)
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 9:13 PM
True, and you also have to look at how shallow the legacies of all three are. I think it was Whitehead who said that Machiavelli laid out the blueprint for a good 12-years’ success. (Maybe a little unfair to Machiavelli.)
ddrintn on October 20, 2009 at 9:13 PM
Mao is everywhere in this administration. Remember Van Jones, way back when in the pre-history … like a month ago. He was a Maoist. The HuffPo described him, while they were trying to DEFEND him (LOL):
There is definite mao-fever at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Weird. I guess Maoist peasant-based ideology was a fad of some sort for the lunatic left and The Precedent was in the core of it. How strange.
The weirdest part is that the stalinists in the administration are the moderate ones who all the maoists laugh at for being pu$$ies.
progressoverpeace on October 20, 2009 at 9:14 PM
Beckel might be on his way to becoming a czar in the whine house
macncheez on October 20, 2009 at 9:14 PM
It is maddening. And you are right all these little Leftist are teaching school.
Cindy Munford on October 20, 2009 at 9:15 PM
Not only does this guy and Dunn like Mao’s philosophy but they were appreciative of the lilting, romantic tomes of Joseph Mengele.
They were also especially partial to the collected limericks of Vlad the Impaler.
kurtzz3 on October 20, 2009 at 9:16 PM
WONDER TWIN POWERS … ACTIVATE!
Tony737 on October 20, 2009 at 9:16 PM
No. It was that she said he was one the people she turns to MOST.
Dunn needs to go, NOW … which oddly, rhymes with Mao.
progressoverpeace on October 20, 2009 at 9:16 PM
Yo
Shut up you right wingers
MAO GOT SH!T DONE~!!!
blatantblue on October 20, 2009 at 9:17 PM
Lots of parallels there with the filthy rat bastard traitor and lying coward in the White House. He is an idiot with smart political people around him who are more attuned to the politics than the policy. He’s also a narcisist who believes his own press.
That’s right. I’m making the claim that Obama is the first black Nazi! We are currently seeing the Hitler of the early 1930s in Obama but don’t think that it won’t go further if the bastard has the chance. Do you people really think that the filthy coward in power is above a Democrat version of Kristallnacht or creating a crisis in order to further a despotic agenda of the radical left????? Prove me wrong if you can!
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 9:17 PM
Obama is the first black Nazi! – High
Oh, I dunno about him being the FIRST black National Socialist in Ameria … only the highest ranking one.
Tony737 on October 20, 2009 at 9:20 PM
This is waaaaay off subject, but whatever happened to TXMomof3?
NathanG on October 20, 2009 at 9:22 PM
I’d like to see a poll of Democrats asking who is worse. Joe McCarthy or Mao Zedong.
ronsfi on October 20, 2009 at 9:22 PM
The real irony is Joe was right and we could use him right now!
Pole-Cat on October 20, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Yes, like killing millions of his own countrymen.
I’m truly glad Leftists are starting to finally reveal their true colors.
TheBigOldDog on October 20, 2009 at 9:30 PM
McCain and Gingrich you say? No big surprise two lefty RINO’s are quoting a genocidal commie mad man. They’d campaign for Mao if they thought he was winning a particular election. It’s pretty maverick to love Mao I guess.
chicagojedi on October 20, 2009 at 9:30 PM
The Framers were ahead of Joe on the problem of today, with their brilliant “natural born citizen” requirement, but America chose to ignore the Framers’ genius and vote for an Indonesian imbecile, instead.
progressoverpeace on October 20, 2009 at 9:31 PM
I much prefer the “Rawr is hi in dinosaur” ads. That girl was fine.
Daemonocracy on October 20, 2009 at 9:35 PM
Since Obama’s from Hawaii, and based on the recent revelations, they really should change the presidential entrance music from “Hail to the Chief” to “Surfin’ Bird”, with the additional change that in the spelling of the “Papa-ooma-mow-mow, papa-ooma-mow-mow” line to “Papa-ooma-Mao-Mao, papa-ooma-Mao-Mao”…
jon1979 on October 20, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Yep, cocked and loaded, back to back…
lovingmyUSA on October 20, 2009 at 9:44 PM
txag92 on October 20, 2009 at 8:30 PM
It’s not that one single video is repulsive. Adding them all together (and just imagine how many more there are to come or that we will never know about) makes this entire administration completely worrisome.
I think this is one of the most important points made on this subject and I don’t think people are sufficiently concerned at what it really means. Mao’s philosophies and life are at least as repugnant as Stalin’s. Maybe there were some good things he had to say about innocuous subjects like fashion or food preparation but who in their right mind would willingly associate themselves with Mao in a public venue.
To take the further step and quote his political or ideological positions is to invite the criticism that comes from the association. Thus the only conclusion that one could reasonably draw is that these Obama advisors are so enamored of Mao that it is worth the backlash that is inevitable. They have a deep and abiding devotion to Mao that is akin to a deeply held religious belief.
It seems that they feel the same way toward Mao that many Christians feel about their devotion to Jesus Christ. Like most Christians, I would willingly quote Him regardless of the consequences. I would reference his teachings and extol the virtues of His Word even if I felt that there would be ridicule or if I felt that people would connect me with the Savior’s other actions in life.
While in the military I had the experience of being ridiculed for my faith and my adherence to a set of beliefs that were unpopular. Like these Maoists, I showed the same kind of reluctance to denounce my association with my Master (Jesus Christ) as they do to theirs (Mao). I believe that these Maoists don’t worry about the consequences since admiration for Mao and his teachings is personal and important to them at a core level.
If it seems like I am being an alarmist please give me an alternate way to view these types of quotes.
Mormon Doc on October 20, 2009 at 9:46 PM
Point taken.
highhopes on October 20, 2009 at 9:47 PM
Posts like this are like troll repellant
CWforFreedom on October 20, 2009 at 9:54 PM
1 socialist-incident
2 socialists-coincidence
3 socialists-WTF?
jimmy2shoes on October 20, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Dozen socialists — WhineHouse 2009
macncheez on October 20, 2009 at 10:05 PM
Mao had one main, overriding and memorable philosophy. Disagree with me and you die.
MB4 on October 20, 2009 at 10:07 PM
Obama administration members fit into three categories.
1) Morons.
2) Psychopaths.
3) Out of place.
MB4 on October 20, 2009 at 10:09 PM
The irony of that is that most major democrats are very much like Joe McCarthy.
MB4 on October 20, 2009 at 10:12 PM
OT: I don’t like this new Homo-erotic Hot Air.
Anybody else getting the “get ripped” ads with shirtless men?
The chattering teeth are pretty cool.
JellyToast on October 20, 2009 at 10:17 PM
You say you’ll change a constitution
Well, you know
We’d all love to change your head.
You tell me it’s the institution,
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead.
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao,
You ain’t gonna make it with anyone anyhow.
MB4 on October 20, 2009 at 10:19 PM
I know nobody here goes to Little Green Footballs anymore, but about a week ago they had a video of John McCain quoting Chairman Mao.
hicsuget on October 20, 2009 at 10:23 PM
After years of being tortured by Communists, I don’t think any cheap little tu quoque like that makes McCain an admirer of Mao.
ddrintn on October 20, 2009 at 10:28 PM
If you love Mao,, how can you hate Hitler???
Would someone explain to me the difference other than one has a little mustache and one does not. One had nicer cars and one did not. One had a funny salute and the other one had a little red book.
How can you seriously condemn Hitler and then turn and praise Mao??! You can’t!!
If you love Mao, you have to also love the same things Hitler did,,,, you love murder, executions, world conquest, raw power, people dragged off from their beds in the middle of the night, firing squads, torture, starvation, death camps, war, propaganda, indoctrination and more!! You must also hate open elections, more than one political party, a free press, the right to peaceably assemble, the right to face your accuser, parental rights, family unity, private property, prosperity, and of course, freedom and liberty!!
Seriously,,, they would have to love Hitler too,, they would have to love him! It must be that they know they just can’t openly admit it yet. There’s just too many people who know Hitler is not someone to love while Mao is a little “cooler” I guess to praise.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders continue to talk about being the party of Sam’s Club and the need to reach across the aisle.
JellyToast on October 20, 2009 at 10:38 PM
How exactly did the Right be characterized by the color red, (as in ‘Red States’)anyway?
HAnthonyWayne on October 20, 2009 at 10:40 PM
So what? Do you think that there are more than a handfull around here who don’t think that McShame ought to get his butt out of Washington and never be heard from again? McShame is a RINO embarrassment who looks to stab conservatives in the back every chance he gets.
You’ll have to do better.
progressoverpeace on October 20, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Then it’s a good thing we got all the guns.
ray on October 20, 2009 at 10:43 PM
For the sake of my education, could someone please tell me why focusing on incidents where Obama staff or supporters reference Mao – actually favorably or unfavorably it does not matter – are presented as significant arguments for or against Obama’s policies or proposed changes to the position of the executive branch of the US Government? It would seem to me, the best way to refute Obama’s policies or positions would be to directly refute the actual content of his arguments. I am not saying any one of Obama’s supporters or staff have not made quotable statements that prove they are in fact closet communist or socialist; I am proposing focusing our attention and our time on these issues are not an effective use of our limited time and resources. The one admitted flaw in my position: I personally do not have an appropriate substitute Obama weakness to propose for the spotlight. Damn!
Unquiet on October 20, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Well, isn’t it great that he’s the manufacturing czar. Now it all makes sense because that was the Great Helmsman’s area of expertise! (Along with agriculture, of course.) Now we can all have a steel mill in our backyard.
chris999 on October 20, 2009 at 11:06 PM
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