Michelle Obama: In GOP Crosshairs Again
If gay marriage doesn’t become a frequently debated and divisive issue in the 2008 presidential race, the concept of “Americanism” certainly will.
Welcoming Michelle Obama to the Volunteer State, the Tennessee Republican Party unveiled a video Thursday that highlights her comments earlier this year saying she is proud of America “for the first time in my adult life.”
The four-minute video features Tennesseans saying they are proud of America and why, while lambasting the now-infamous Michelle Obama quotes.
“The Tennessee Republican Party has always been proud of America. To further honor the occasion of Mrs. Obama’s visit, the Tennessee Republican Party has requested the playing of patriotic music by radio stations across the state,” said a statement on the party’s Web site regarding the video.
It’s a clear indication of what awaits Barack and Michelle Obama in the general election, assuming he clinches the Democratic nomination.
In a swipe at both Michelle’s remarks about her pride in America and Barack Obama’s “bitter” comments about small-town Pennsylvanians, the video says:
“While [Michelle Obama] has trouble being proud of the country where she earned degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School and then became a multi-millionaire, her husband makes statements that belittle average Americans’ response to the difficulties of life.”
The Barack Obama campaign, which has been dogged by criticism of its lack of patriotism for months - thanks to Michelle’s remark, the flag pin flap, Jeremiah Wright and bitter-gate - called the attack “shameful.”
“This is a shameful attempt to attack a woman who has repeatedly said she wouldn’t be here without the opportunities and blessings of this nation,” said Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan.
“The Republican Party’s pathetic attempts to use the same smear tactics to win elections have failed in Mississippi, failed in Louisiana, and will fail in November because the American people are looking for a positive vision of real change.”
The full context of the lightning-rod Michelle Obama quote (given at a campaign event in February) that started all this is as follows:
“For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country, because it feels like hope is making a comeback. Not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change.”
The comments immediately drew fire from conservatives (including Cindy McCain), and Michelle later clarified her statement, stating:
“What I was clearly talking about is that I am proud in how Americans are engaging in the political process. I mean, everyone has said what I said, in that we haven’t seen these record numbers of turnouts, people who are paying attention, going to rallies, watching debates.”
The Tennessee Republican Party was heavily criticized in early February for its use of Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein, in a news release that questioned the Illinois senator’s support of Israel.
That statement also included a photograph of Barack Obama from a 2006 trip to Kenya, in which he is dressed in traditional African attire.
NATIONAL
May 16th, 2008 at 9:42 am
What many Americans are not proud of is behavior like that of the Tennessee Republican Party. They have made it clear that they will be embarassed, and not proud, if Obama is elected president. We can assume this would be because he is black. This kind of behavior is disgusting and should be rejected by all Americans. It is not behavior we can in any way condone, and we are certainly not proud of it.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Stop with the racist card play - enough already. Michele Obama is not proud of this country she said it - it has nothing to do with skin color. It’s a fact. I can promisse you if Hillary would have made such a remarq she would have been long grilled by the media by now. Obama was a media darling all along so maybe now the chickens are slowly coming home to rust
May 16th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Hillary gets by with a lot of ridiculous wordplay. Don’t fool yourself. The media is enjoying the show. Nobody will get his or her hands smacked much now.
While “maybe the chickens are slowly coming home to rust,” the chickens have already long since come home to roost in a nation that TWICE elected a weak, war-romanticizing, playground bully of a President. Thanks a lot for that. I plead innocent on that count.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Oh Dear what else is new…Shouldn’t the wannabe first lady have more class! She has soo much anger makes me think about her views on other things..Like white people. What ever happend to the class that Jackie Onasis left behind? You would think this woman would learn. Hillary is more of a lady than Michelle. Hillary is more of a man than Obama is LOL. Obama is a puppet who thinks he is actually going to win the General Election. Hillary is the only one who can win against McCain. Red States For Obama I dont think so. Wake up people. Another Bush term. So sad!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I live in Nashville, and these nasty Republican neo-con ass holes have embarrassed the great state of Tennessee. They have nothing better to do than attack a woman of faith and hope. They need to attack rubber stamp Blackburn. They are losers, and they know they have lost.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
It is sickening, the underhanded tactics employed by the right. Worse they are sanction by Bush and he is the worst. What he said about Obama and the nazi’s was abhorrant. Sadly many will fall for that crap and we as De3mocrats are the real enemy. We will be peinted as unPatriotic and anti American everytime we speak the truth. Nopthing has changed it will only get much worse as the right fights to continue this mess and make it much worse as this is all just beginning!
May 16th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Michelle Obama is an ungreatful, ‘bitter’ woman. This country-the country which she is not proud of- have giving her a great education, and a job that pays more than $300,000. How many people will be kissing the ground of this Country if they could have what this left wing radical bigmouth has?
May 16th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I found this, something from 2004, just to show you how racist the Tennessee Republican Party really is:
AUGUST 13, 2004 - Below is a piece sent in by Democratic Talk Radio hosts Stephen Crockett and Al Lawrence addressing a very real issue that has been a frequent topic here at M/I - the racist reality beneath the Bush/Limbaughian surface.
At M/I, we always welcome good pieces from people on all sides. Any Tennessee GOP’ers who wish to respond to this piece can contact comments@moderateindependent.com.
By Stephen Crockett and Al Lawrence, hosts of Democratic Talk Radio
The Republican Congressional candidate in Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District, James L. Hart is likely the most blatantly racist Republican political figure since David Duke. Tennessee Republicans are even inclined to denounce his “favored races” view of civilization. His views are very close to those of Hitler in the opinion of most Americans.
His candidacy is showing publicly what Southern Democrats have always known about racial politics in the South. The rise of Bush Republicanism in the South is largely based on white racism. Racism is the key to getting poor, working class and middle class white voters to vote for a Republican Party that advances a political agenda that directly goes against their own economic interests. The Republicans gained power in the South by white racists leaving the Democratic Party in droves to join the Republicans. They are still there!
The brilliant Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party Randy Button has called on the Republican Party leaders at all levels to condemn and renounce the candidacy of James L. Hart (see http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_53820.asp , “State Democrats Call On GOP To Denounce Racist Candidate”). The Republican grassroots organization Team GOP General Chairman Jeff Ward used Button’s statement as a excuse to attack Chairman Button instead of following his good advice. The attack shows just how dangerous the Hart candidacy is for the Republicans in the key swing state of Tennessee this year.
Republicans need the racist vote to carry Tennessee. His views are not that uncommon among the local Republican leadership in many counties in the state. They have to at least mildly condemn Hart to keep their moderate voters. They cannot condemn Hart with the vigor his view require without losing their white racist base. The voters of Tennessee will not let the Republicans have it both ways.
These writers think every member of every Republican County Executive Committee should be required to sign a letter to be printed in their county newspaper denouncing Hart, his views and his candidacy. The Tennessee Republican Party should do the same. Any Republican Party leader at any level who refuses to sign these letters should be expelled from their Party office. If the Republican Party is unwilling to take these actions, the voters of Tennessee should vote out of office every Republican officeholder in the state.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I’m a retired Captain from the army and also was honrable dischard from the USA Navy. I cannot believe Michelle Obama and her husband! Obama refuse to salute the flag, only wear a flag pin when it is convenient to him. These people have benefited from all the good things that this country has to offer and yet they do not respect the country or are proud of it. It is very elementary for a Commander in chief to respect the country which he represent, everything else is secondary. I salute Madame senator Hillary Clinton! I salute you! if Hillary Clinton does not win I have not trouble voting for MacCain. I love my Country!
May 16th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Obama has saluted the flag! I have photos! I will send them to you! And I dont wear a flag pen hardly ever, and guess what? Im going into the service in about 6 months!!!! I love America, Hillary Clinton loves America, Barack and Michelle Obama loves America, and I hope McCain does.
May 16th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
It is sickening, the underhanded tactics employed by the right. Worse they are sanction by Bush and he is the worst. What he said about Obama and the nazi’s was abhorrant. Sadly many will fall for that crap and we as De3mocrats are the real enemy. We will be painted as unPatriotic and anti American every time we speak the truth. Nopthing has changed it will only get much worse as the right fights to continue this mess and make it much worse as this is all just beginning!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
First, in November 2007, while campaigning in South Carolina, Senator McCain was asked, “How do we beat the bitch? After chuckling, McCain answered the question by stating how much he respected Senator Clinton. His response, despite his reference to the fact that he respects Senator Clinton, demonstrated a failure on his part to lead his supporters to higher ground. Instead, he chose a path which, in my opinion, showed that he was going to allow his supporters to denigrate his opponents and allow him to portray himself as “Mr. Clean.”
Were this the only occasion in which Senator McCain has assumed this role, this blog entry would not exist.
However, a week or so ago in North Carolina, when the GOP in North Carolina decided to run an ad that denigrated Obama because of his association with Rev. Wright, we heard “Mr. Clean” say he wasn’t going to referee to play “referee” as state and local Republicans continued to use the Wright issue in their races across the country.
More recently, “Mr. Clean’s” McCain spokesman Brian Rogers was asked about the Tennessee GOP’s efforts to denigrate Michelle Obama. Rogers simply said, “Judge us by the ads we run.” He also reiterated that McCain is not going to “play referee” on the tactics of others.
Americans are looking for a leader. We’re not asking for a referee. McCain has opted out of both positions.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Michelle Obama is an embarrassment to this country! After all she benefited from the system, she has the galls to say that.
Imagine if HRC had said anything like this! Her carreer would be over in a minute. But the liberal media likes Obama and anyone who dares criticize either Barrack or Michelle is branded as a racist! This has truly become the tiranny by the minority!
Just as it would be wrong to attack or criticise Obama because he is African American, it is ludicrous to prevent anyone from saying anything wrong about him, or calling them racist as has been the case when Bill Clinton, Hillary herself, Geraldine Ferrarro and just about anybody else who dares say the truth.
Fact is Obama is inexperienced, aloof, immature and has very poor judgment as demonstrated by the company he keeps: Rev Wright, Rezko and Bill Ayers.
The real irony now is that the real feeling of entitlement is being demonstrated by the Obama clan who feels like the Presidency is owed to Obama because he makes nice speeches…
As Bill Clinton said: the whole thing is a fairy tale! A sad one unfortunately…
May 16th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Michelle Obama is the most miserable person I have ever heard. Her anti-americansm is just to much to bear and I am a democrat.
She is a downer and its depressing all these gospels of misery that comes out of her mouth…She certainly has had to much of Wright ingrained in her brain….
Michelle obama brings misery with her since her college days and he thesis represented the misery she herself feels….We certainly do not need some big mouth woman telling us how tererible America is, how the barr gets higher when you are finally reaching it…Her barr certainly did not get higher. She got more than most people get from America and instead of giving us words that brings us together, her words are of misery..
I guess both of these people have had to much of Wright…and they are trying not to show it!! But you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time….West Virginians!!! good for you!!! As a democrat, I will be voting for MCCain if Obama is the nominee..First time in my life…I just can not bring myself to vote for obama..His Associations with Radical Racist like Wright, Farrakhan, Ayers and all those in the Trumpet Magazine from the Trinity church of his full of racism and anti-Americanism is just for many of us to take in… No indeed my vote will never be for obama
May 16th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Michelle Obama is the most miserable person I have ever heard. Her anti-americansm is just to much to bear and I am a democrat.
She is a downer and its depressing all these gospels of misery that comes out of her mouth…She certainly has had to much of Wright ingrained in her brain….
Michelle obama brings misery with her since her college days and he thesis represented the misery she herself feels….We certainly do not need some big mouth woman telling us how tererible America is, how the barr gets higher when you are finally reaching it…Her barr certainly did not get higher. She got more than most people get from America and instead of giving us words that brings us together, her words are of misery..
I guess both of these people have had to much of Wright…and they are trying not to show it!! But you can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time….West Virginians!!! good for you!!! As a democrat, I will be voting for MCCain if Obama is the nominee..First time in my life…I just can not bring myself to vote for obama..His Associations with Radical Racist like Wright, Farrakhan, Ayers and all those in the Trumpet Magazine from the Trinity church of his full of racism and anti-Americanism is just to much for many of us to take in… No indeed my vote will never be for obama
May 17th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Michelle made it very clear that she isn’t proud of America. Well, America is not proud of her. Because she is black, America has bent over backwards for her. I’m sure she has taken advantage of many programs to help her, like lower standards for college admission, and quotas that took her over more qualified people. Off to her “church” she pranced, sitting in the pew enraptured by her beloved Pastor Wright, and saying “Amen” to Wright’s “God Dam America” hate. That’s Michelle for you and Obama as well.
May 18th, 2008 at 12:03 am
I hate to hear dems say they will not vote for the party if there candidate does not make it. So why are you voting for the sake of America the country you so love, or for your own selfish reasons. Are you a true democrat or a mouse? HRC and Obama’s message are very much the same maybe 5% difference if you are following the issue. People please we are in a crisis. When I read these blogs and ingorance that is sprewed by “Americans” I too am ASHAMED……..please please stop with the media spin We are not bobble heads. George Bush, Ronald Regean, HRC, Bill Clinton have all been photograhed with the pin on….Please Stop it already What about the issues the state of OUR country?
May 18th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Sorry so upset with this I meant to say photograhed without the pin on
May 19th, 2008 at 8:46 am
I am not disgusted at the Republican Party for airing the comment made by Michelle Obama in reference to her level of patriotism. She is out there, campaigning for her husband and is, therefore, fair game for criticism when it is relevant. What is so disgusting is that the snippet shown of her remarks deliberately blanks out the word ‘really’ before she says proud. The GOP know that this one word makes a completely different connotation to the words she uttered and they have consistently, in media interviews and written referrals, dropped this word from quotes of her remarks. This is despicable, unworthy political gamesmanship and I would like to hear GOP leaders and John McCain try to defend this calumny. How Mr McCain can allow such deceit to be perpetrated in his name is so disappointing. This puts him on a level with Hillary Clinton, following her dishonesty over events in Bosnia. America cannot afford to have either in the White House. These candidates forget that this election is not just about them, it is about choosing a leader who can inspire the people to have faith in our country and its leadership, be honest with the electorate, be honest with our allies and enemies, work with the people not against them. Candidates who try to fool the electorate with false claims and can only pander to certain groups are not the ideal choice as the people have discovered before. America gets the President it deserves and recent signs of increased interest in the election process show that the American people are more determined than ever to have their say. Please don’t insult them by untruths and unjust slurs, false promises and hidden agendas. Don’t make a mockery of democracy.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Michell Obama is way too bitter to hold the title of First Lady. She is the typical offspring of Jeremiah Wright and is the real reason they stayed in that bitter pew for 20 years - she feels the same way as Jeremiah Wright does. You plant cotton, you don’t get corn folks! Wake up!
May 19th, 2008 at 9:15 am
How pathetic the little children running the GOP show are to have to reach way over to attack the innocent wife of a candidate. The false claim and quote that Michelle Obama supposedly said, “In all my adult life this is the first time I have been proud of my country” is false false false.
What the little elves who like to play with reality by splicing off words or words from a video are immoral. What Michelle said was, “This is the first time in my adult life that I have been REALLY proud of my country.” Watch the next time they run that video and notice how the word REALLY is cut off. Why is that word cut off? Because then it would have to be that she was always proud of her country but that at that moment she was especailly proud of her country.
This was stated when the result were coming in that showed Barach Obama as leading the race for nominee. And that was and has been extraordinary when on considers that our country has had a serious problem with race throughout its history. Now, for the first time a black man was able to break that barrier. And the voters who did it were mostly white. This was a historical happening and one to be really proud of. She stated the truth and the obvious and many of us are in agreement regarding this fantastic occurence. I love my country and have always been proud of my country but unhappy that blacks have found it difficult to climb the ladder to the top. I am now also really proud that the state of Iowa showed us all that race does not have to be an issue.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Victoria La Belle; I could not have said it better, to hear people go on with the talking points that are inaccurate is sad, the whole saluting the flag was a hoax, people go on Snopes.com to find out was email is true or false, the picture of him not having his hand over his heart was during the Star Spangled Banner. These are simple facts that cause great harm, so I ask that people do reseach before they believe and lets stop questioning patriotism and saying what some one believes and you don’t even know them.
May 19th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Mr. Smoke and Mirrors finally getting some more heat. Funny how if things get a little tough he starts to cry wolf.