Chicago Sun Times - He's all talk

[Alamom]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/552723,CST-NWS-sweet12.article


Chicago Sun Times
September 12, 2007

He's all talk
At Iraq hearing, long-winded Obama barely manages to ask a question

BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Columnist

WASHINGTON -- There have been enough Democratic presidential debates to conclude that White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has not mastered the short answer format. Obama demonstrated at Tuesday's Senate Foreign Relations hearing with Gen. David Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker he also has trouble with questions. The long-winded Obama, who bills himself as a consensus builder, wasted an opportunity to show how it could work.

Each member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had seven minutes to question Petraeus and Crocker about the Iraq War. Obama used about six minutes of his time to lecture Petraeus and Crocker that the surge is of modest success given the cost and the Iraq central government is ineffectual -- points he has been making in speeches and debates. As Obama was wrapping up, he said, "That, of course, now leaves me very little time to ask questions, and that's unfortunate."

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Petraeus never got to answer Obama's 266-word question. Rushed at the end, Obama asked about benchmarks not met. Crocker said, "Senator, I described for Senator Sununu a little bit ago some of the things that I think are going to be very important as we move ahead."

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Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) followed Obama. He told Petraeus and Crocker, "As you have found, our hearings are more about listening to ourselves than listening to our witnesses."

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At the hearing, Obama complained about the time constraint. But it was his choice not to figure out how to ask even one thoughtful question and leave time for an answer. He chose not to show that he is interested in finding a way to engage with one of the nation's top generals. He chose not to grill Crocker about the millions of dollars of humanitarian assistance the U.S. is giving to Iraq. When Obama had a chance he did not use it to show, not tell.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Obama sounded like he was campaigning, Biden portrayed

a concerned, careful, and knowledgable professional. One of the GOPers (I forget who) sounded as though the WHite House wound up the key in his back and pulled the string.

[William769]

2. At least we know where his supporters get their hot air from. NT

[Ethelk2044]

4. Yes, Hillary

[durrrty libby]

3. I watched. him. A whole lot of windbaggery.

[wyldwolf]

5. It appears he also gaffed on the "why did you schedule this on 9/11" question

“Obama this morning raised what seemed like a relevant point: Was the Petraeus hearing scheduled today by the White House to draw some sort of tacit link between 9/11 and Iraq?

The answer, according to a Senate Democratic leadership aide who spoke on the condition on anonymity, is an emphatic “no.”

The legislation requiring a report from the White House on the status of the war sets a September 15 deadline. “It made sense,” the staffer said, to bring Petraeus to the Hill the week the report was due. And Rosh Hashannah begins Wednesday night.

“It had to be that Monday or that Tuesday, or the Tuesday and the Wednesday, because of the Jewish holiday,” the staffer said.

So either way, 9/11. And the decision was made by Senate Democrats, not the White House.

Maybe that’s why Biden was short with Obama.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0907/Obamas_scheduling_gripe.html

[Ethelk2044]

7. There was NO Gaffe. He is correct. Why go along with the Bush Agenda. 9-11

Was not about Iraq. They did not attack us. I realize Hillary pushed Bush's war and went along with his Agenda. However, we should not be doing things on 9-11 that will give Bin Ladin more substance.

[redqueen]

12. Whoa... that's big.

The GOP's unhappiness about the scheduling was reported on NPR yesterday morning.

OOPS!

[jefferson_dem]

16. Don't lie. He say "we" not "you".

n/t

[ripple]

21. Show where he posed that question

or implied that the WH scheduled the hearings for this week.

You can't because he didn't.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Oh please--he was very good. They ALL were making speeches

to some extent--how many questions, and in how many ways, can you ask that haven't already been asked and answered? The speeches laid out their positions, and I think the American people need to hear that anyway. Besides, Obama brought up a number of points for them to respond to, even if they weren't in the form of a direct question.

[tblue37]

27. Considering that the MSM will block and filter whatever Dems say,

almost the only way they can get their message across is by using these hearings forums as way of making sure some of the people can hear what they have to say on such issues. Much of what he said is excellent criticism of the way the war has been and is being handled, as well as a slam against our being there in the first place. Americans who don't read their news at DU and places like DU don't get this info. But by saying it while people are tuned in to the hearings, he gets the info out there.

It's not a bad strategy. But he still needs to master soundbites for the evening news shows.

[Apollo11]

8. Fortunately there are still 4 months left

for Obama's supporters to get behind John Edwards ;-)

[madrchsod]

9. who gives a shit what she writes?

i listened to the hearings and there were others who did the same as obama did..when people use biased sources to attack democratic candidates in this forum i wonder if they ever fact check their source.

by the way, the sun times is a conservative newspaper in chicago.

[madrchsod]

10. did`t hillary do the same thing?

i thought her "questions" or statements were very good and i think she asked for written replies...

[flpoljunkie]

25. Indeed, she did. Hillary gave a speech and left no time for answers.

[Colobo]

11. Judging by how hard Hillarites are looking for something to attack Obama with

you would think they think their candidate's lead is somehow in danger. Let's hope that's the case.

[gateley]

19. I'm not a Hillarite and I think Obama looked inexperienced and kind of bumbling.

I'm sure they were all making their speeches, but the others seemed to be better and more smooth. Maybe because they're all so much older!
Hillary was one of the last to speak, and I was impressed at her quiet, succinct litany of the situation in Iraq.

I like Obama -- I like them all, actually, but these hearings more than anything made me feel he just doesn't have the chops yet. Gut feeling.

[zulchzulu]

13. If you watched the hearing, all the questions had been asked...

...and all you got were the retreaded talking points over and over. What Obama (and Biden and Boxer) did was take Patraeus to task for parroting the same crap over and over again.

Should Obama have asked Patraeus how the war was going? How is Anbar Province? Gee General, why are the sectarian violence numbers down?

Quoting that asswipe Repug DeMint to "prove the point" shows me where the OP stands... more for an "experienced" candidate who gave Bush his war over what America needs.

I see through the agenda. It's pretty freaking obvious.

[redqueen]

14. Wow... that's a pretty flimsy reason for a hit piece.

[ripple]

15. Well, THAT's an objective source

:eyes:

[zulchzulu]

17. Notice how the Hillary supporter uses a Repug to make the point to attack Obama

Interesting... why would a Hillary supporter consider a Republican's opinion to trash a fellow Democrat...

:kick:

[ellacott]

22. It's amazing to me that we have all these hit pieces on our own party

This is the most amazing thing.

Hillary has a reported 20% lead in the polls but her supporters still can't stop these types of posts.

It is truly baffling to me.

[Alamom]

18. Lynn Sweet - Chicago Sun Times, 3 days ago

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3508688

Oprah: "Nobody can stand in the way of destiny."
Chicago Sun-Times: 'It's unbelievable'
OPRAH/OBAMA | Star-studded spectacular event raises $3 million for campaign
September 9, 2007
LYNN SWEET





& no one complained.

[AtomicKitten]

20. The OP is from an opinion columnist.

Nuff said.

[killbotfactory]

23. What a load of crap

This is the best you can come up with? Some dumbass republicans op-ed?

[Catchawave]

24. Lynn Sweet dumps on all the Dems.....

It's up to us to debunk her and *them*.

[flpoljunkie]

26. As I recall, Jim DeMint made a point of not excluding himself in "listening to ourselves. Of course,

Lynn Sweet left that part out.