Barack Obama has a great time on 'The View' with the ladies there

Big big news out of "The View" today.

They've got Sen. Barack Obama on the pre-taped show, as you may have gathered from this publicity photo from ABC. And the ladies are very excited to have him there with them on the couch, too. They have what looks like a really good time together. But the audience doesn't get a free car or anything like that.

Just like any real reporter would do, Barbara Walters tells the Democratic presidential candidate that they've all agreed he's sexy. And he waves his hand as if fanning his face.

What's-her-name Behar wants to know if the candidate is really tough enough to handle the awful Republican attack machine that everybody knows is just waiting to get its hands on the poor guy. Which, come to think of it, pretty much indicates that as far as she's concerned the Democratic primaries are over and the votes and delegates don't need to be counted.

Obama says he's skinny but he's tough. And he notes that the current primary season, which continues despite his recent days off in the Virgin Islands, hasn't been....

exactly a cakewalk. He says he always handles every attack in an honest and truthful way. Also quickly. So that's a relief for everybody.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, the designated hitter for the Republican attack machine, wants to know if Obama's two-decade-long association with the violent rhetoric of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright shows bad judgment on Obama's part?

And you might be surprised to know that Obama thinks it does not. He admits to not "vetting my pastor." He says, "I didn't have a research team during the course of 20 years to go pull every sermon he's given and see if there's something offensive that he's said."

Obama says the portrayal of the minister, who blamed the United States for the 9/11 attacks and claims the government created the AIDS epidemic to kill blacks, was "a snippet of a man."

The candidate adds: "I don't purchase all the DVDs and I didn't read all the church bulletins." So that's a relief too and pretty much takes care of the judgment question for everyone going forward.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[Paula Moreno]

I love the way you described Elizabeth Hasselbeck, "the designated hitter for the Republican attack machine."

SO RIGHT. She's like the spawn of Sally Kern and Pat Buchanan.

[08vote]

Obama 'renounced and rejected' Rev's Wright's comments in his race speech. Obama's a true American/patriot. Real Americans don't start wars unilaterally, lie about WMDs, ship jobs and military contracts overseas, and don't support corporate welfare by giving tax breaks to the very wealthy.

[laurenr1]

NONONONONONOBAMA! He is all talk and nooooooooo substance and his 20 yr associations are very, very scary! Lite resume: community organizer, PT professor, and barely any legislative votes ! How is that enough exp to run our country!!!! Speeches are all lifted from MLK, JFK and Deval PAtrick, looser " Hope and Change" Governor of Mssachusetts. NO BAMA! We are in a war and recession!!!1

[taheati]

[ Elizabeth Hasselbeck, the designated hitter for the Republican attack machine, wants to know if Obama's two-decade-long association with the violent rhetoric of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright shows bad judgment on Obama's part?
And you might be surprised to know that Obama thinks it does not. ]

Sorry, not surprised and totally unconcerned.

I would also be -- disinterested *if* Obama had a vegan nutritionist who turned out to be a closet carnivore; indifferent *if* Obama had a babysitter who vowed never to have kids; unconcerned *if* Obama hired a mechanic who mechanic happened to own several SUVs; bored silly *if* news broke that Michelle Obama doesn't reflexively goosestep to Americans or an America that leads themselves astray.

Yes, I'm unsurprised and unconcerned in the SAME way I'd be unsurprised and unconcerned to learn Ronald Reagan *DID NOT* investigate, spy or pry into the background of Donn Moomaw prior to or during Moomaw's unpublicized harassment of 5 women at a time when Moomaw was notably and visibly serving as Reagan's pastor/minister.

[Figaro]

Didn't "vet" his pastor? Actually, according to the New York Times' April 30, 2007 article about the relationship between Obama and Wright (A Candidate, His Minister and the Search for Faith), Obama has been well aware of Wright's controversial statements for (at the very at least) the past year or so:

“If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me,” Mr. Wright said with a shrug. “I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen.”

See: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/us/politics/30obama.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1

[R. Penmark]

Why are so many empty-minded people totally hung up on this Rev. Wright stuff? It's like they're totally obsessed about it. FOX just can’t get enough of it and keep playing it relentlessly, blaming it in Barack. These are not words that Barack has uttered personally, and he does not share in their sentiments.

Mrs. Hasselbeck proves over and over again that she is a twit, on a daily basis. Everything that comes out of her mouth is ill-informed. Her ideas on mothering leave a lot to be desired as well. Good thing she’s not running for Vice President. Wouldn’t she and What’s her Face make a great fact-checking team?

[dave]

even had the ladies been younger, and less buttoned up,
the effect of such an awkward charm attack on the eligible female electorate might have been doubtful.

[Chitty Mwewa]

"The Obama Campaign is a run-away train. NOBODY can stop it, not even John McCain"

[Cass]

Obama's Press Agent and his good looks and con routines... Have taken him far. Of course he know of Rev Wright's racism... the tapes were sold.

In one he talks about Hillary specifically, and says Obama is like Hesus, and he claims to not know. Obama is a staight faced liar and more and moer lies will emerge as the days go on.

This about sums it up for me regarding Obama's voting record. If you are a progressive voter and value truth, please read:
http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/The_Obama_Craze_Count_Me_Out_5413.html

[Thomas Richards]

Actions Speak Better than Words

Before the negative press regarding Mr. Wright, Mr Obama had on numerous occasions declared Mr. Wright as his mentor and spiritual teacher for the past 20 years and even went so far as to include Mr. Wright in his election staff, these are the actions of Mr. Obama. When the press found out about the Hitleresque personality of Mr. Wright, Mr. Obama’s staff writers immediately created a rebuttal of hyperbole that amazingly some people actually believed.

It is interesting to note, as soon the public became aware of the Obama/Wright connection, following a phone call to Mr. Wright from Mr. Obama, Mr. Wright was instantly silenced and retired to a 1.6 million dollar home. Is there something more we are not supposed to hear from Mr. Wright?

And now Mr. Obama says he would distance himself from Mr. Wright because of Mr. Wight hateful message, but what about the other 20 years of Mr. Obama choosing to sit in the pew while Mr. Wright lectured? After 20 years of choosing to listen to Mr. Wright, Mr. Obama has just now come to conclusion that he wouldn’t listen to Mr. Wright starting now? Does Mr. Obama think we are stupid?

But regardless of what Mr. Obama’s staff has spun for Mr. Obama’s rebuttal, Mr. Obama cannot retract his clear public proclamation that Mr. Wright has been his mentor and spiritual teacher for over these past 20 YEARS. And that up to recent negative press, Mr. Wright was on Mr. Obama’s Spiritual Advisor Committee campaign team. There is no denying this.

And the Obama’s team efforts to downplay the violent rhetoric of Mr. Wright are like trying to make excuses for Hitler. Hitler and Mr. Wright both convey hateful and paranoid messages that should send shivers through the average American. The words of Mr. Wright are violent, hateful and terrifying. This should be a wake up call to every white, Jew, non-Christian, Christians of other faiths, government officials, peoples from other countries and so on. Didn’t Hitler do this too before unleashing his cruelty on the world?

If Obama made the choice to listen and learn from this so called spiritual mentor for over 20 years, do you expect me or any other rational being to believe that he wouldn’t be or want to be influenced by his ideas? And what does that say of Mr. Obama’s integrity?

Action is the real measure of a person, not their words. We know who Mr. Obama is by his life and choices, not the words he spins. And we can only imagine the amount of hatred Mr. Obama will unleash once he achieves ultimate power.

And also consider recent announcement that the chief of the firm involved in the State Department’s passport breach is one of Obama’s adviser. (And why is this not being discussed?) And that Obama has been caught lying about Rezko, regarding the amount of money Rezko gave him, and that Obama still hasn’t come clean about his Rezko land deal. Or further, how Michelle Obama makes a phenomenal $317.000 a month at a hospital in Chicago that is famous for turning away the poor, especially the black poor. And Michelle Obama’s separatist-racist connection to Farrakhan and Chicago's Trinity United Church trumpeting Barack Obama AKA Barack Hussein Obama as the second coming of the messiah. And Michelle Obama’s statement she “has never been proud to be an AMERICAN in her adult life".

And for those who don’t know that Obama campaign was originally funded by the Food for Oil Program in Iraq, I suggest you read the following article:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/03/obamas_iraqi_oil_for_food_conn.html

If Obama were to become president, what would stop Mr. Obama from appointing Mr. Wright to his cabinet? And after Mr. Wright’s appointment, if anyone complained no doubt they would be called racist. And it seems as if this strategy - that it is racist to criticize a black man - is already in effect as Mr. Obama can do anything corrupt with minimal impunity by the public or the press.

But if Hillary so much as sneezes, she is taken through the laundry and hung out to dry and then beaten some more. Such an obvious bias treatment towards Mr. Obama because of his race is racial discrimination. And I believe another reason why Mrs. Clinton is unfairly criticized to such an extreme is because a handful of powerful men in the media can’t stand the idea of a woman for president – likely a libido thing.

We should have as our country’s leader someone with wisdom and knowledge, whose goal is the selfless betterment of the world. We should not elect someone with a personal agenda for personal power or select them because of the fashionably of their race or the preference for a gender.

With all the red lights in Mr. Obama’s resume, and all the hyperbole that he spins that keeps us from knowing the real Mr. Obama, are you sure this is the person best to lead our country? Should we gamble away the American future to a man who associates with and is taught by men who hate this country and its people?

[Daniel Hoffheins]

Bill Maher made some really salient points about the Obama-Wright controversy and the scandals that plagued, and continue to plague, the Catholic Church in his blog today:

http://www.236.com/blog/w/bill_maher/new_rule_catholics_must_get_up_5510.php

[Daniel Hoffheins]

Did you hear Hasselbeck yesterday about Rev. Wright and Jeffrey Dahmer and peanut butter sandwiches?!

[Panol]

I wish someone would ask what exactly Rev. Wright meant by "Black men turning on black men – that is fighting the wrong enemy. . ." Was he suggesting race riots, genocide or what?

[Karen Jefferson]

I think the person who wrote this artical is a racist. Your words and thoughts would be the same if any black man ran for president. You'd better check out Hilary's behind closed door dealings with her crooked husband. And oh yes, tell me, exactly where did Hilary get all her so called experience from?????? Is that a joke!

[Judy Jones]

I'd like to see (and hear) Mrs Hasselbeck in about 30 years and see if she still has this Peter Pan way of looking at life.
I don't care what political party she is. I just wish she would shut up and get off her high horse.

[Autumn Brown]

What qualifies one to be president? Well, if you go by what some have said here about Obama and you consider that most U.S. Senators have "lite resumes" then we all ought to be afraid. Since our fear-mongering president has us thinking about terrorism on our turf, let's think about it. What would happen should something get rid of everyone in the executive cabinet? Who is next in line. If you think about it every senator is in line for the presidency. So to quote a REPUBLICAN senator when asked about Obama's experience: if you are qualified to be a Senator, you are qualified to be president. Look at your own state legislatures. I don't know about you, but not every one of my senators or representatives has even a college degree. Hell, Bush has a degree and was elected TWICE. So the experience argument doesn't wash. When I can look at Bush and know my 10 year-old could do a better job running the countyr, this election is about change.

[matt d]

First off, little about me. I own several guns, I spank my children when necessary, and I don't want government handouts-I am a Hamiltonian capitalist.
I am shocked that so my misguided people believe in socialism-it doesn't work folks! Look at France and the UK-drowning in debt and lethargy. When was the last time you heard about great inventions or accomplishments emanating from anywhere in the EU? Obama had the gall to say on the View he is not a liberal. Excuse me-then what is he? A socialist I guess because that would be the next logical step so I guess he was telling the truth. I sincerely hope we don't get all of the government most of you are hoping for. If you care or dare to comment, see the webpage!

[rgilb]

How many of you that are ready to condemn Obama would be willing to completely disassociate yourself from someone that was very close to you (say a father figure or close family friend) and you've known for nearly 20 years of your life, all because they've said something about america or race, that you didn't agree with. Let's say for example (to my white brothers and sisters...I am black, just fyi)...if your Godfather or Father said something offensive and very unfair about one of your black/asian/handicapped/jewish/hispanic friends or something negative about our involvement in Iraq that could easily be construed as anti-american...
Would you disown them...would you not associate yourself with them, someone you love and care for? Or would you respectfully dissagree with them and hope that they will change their opinions?

If not, then why do you expect Senator Obama to?

Even Sen. John McCain refuses to believe that Obama shares the same opinions as Rev. Wright...

[RayDeluxx]

Rev. Wright's comments really touched a nerve. I don't recall the public being this upset when confronted with the misdeeds of the Catholic church. May I suggest this link to Rev.Wright's sermon. http://youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ

[Tom J]

Andrew, it appears you're still in shock from your first viewing of The View. We can tell. It's okay. We promise we won't make you watch it ever, ever again.

(Thanks for your support. I have seen it before. And the recoveries are quicker now, much quicker than for, say, Tyra Banks.)

[joseph marcucili]

What paranoia, what if Obama appoint Rev. Wright to his cabinet? Maybe you fear he will appoint Louis Ferrikan to lead congress in prayer before each session, or have the Black Panthers appointed as his security guards.