Barack Obama suddenly doing some tough urban talk

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight, the old saying goes, but Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has suddenly escalated his rhetoric this weekend.

Sounds like he's anticipating some tough political struggling with the Republicans in these next few months, or trying to create that impression anyway. Or he just watched a 21-year-old movie (see video below).

"If they bring a knife to the fight," Obama told a crowd in Philadelphia last night about his Republican opponents, "we bring a gun."

Say what? This is only June! For pete's sake.

Is this the new kind of politician full of hope who wants to change Washington's ways? He anticipates some kind of close-in fighting with his 71-year-old opponent, John McCain, and his gang of GOP suits with their own secret signs?

Obama was responding to a man in the Pennsylvania crowd who, as the freshman Illinois senator was describing the no-doubt nefarious tactics he expects from GOP opponents this fall, shouted out, "Don't give in!"

"From what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl," Obama went on, according to the pooled press report. "I've seen Eagles fans."

Set aside for a moment the dissonant sound of an urban lawmaker speaking lightly about guns.

Or how about the fact that he stole that line from Sean Connery in "The Untouchables," which is from Chicago too, come to think of it. See video below. For a little more on this story, go here.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo Credit: AP

Comments

[lumakas]

Andrew:
It's becoming more and more obvious that you are biased. Weren't you caught walking out of the McCain office?

Please be fair-minded.

[tlsmith1963]

Unfortunately, this is what it's going to take. The Republicans play dirty, so what else can you do? I wish we didn't have to do it, but what choice does our side have? There is too much at stake. I don't want 4-8 more years of Republicans wrecking everything.

[audacity]

I am not surprised Obama said this. Here is another video of "The Dirty Politics That Started Obama’s Political Career"

http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2008/06/09/the-dirty-politics-that-started-obamas-political-career/

[Joe Bento]

Skinny young man is tougher than people think and will display the toughness when necessary in foreign affairs. George W. bush has spent seven years of acting like a world bully and calling it the fight on terror. He has repeatedly spent money and blood on the wrong fights displaying American hubris. The rest of our planet is praying that Barack Obama is elected President so we can begin to display some diplomacy and intellect again.

Yes We Can Si Se Puede

Barack and Roll in 2008

[Karpy]

This is one scary dude. We call him "The Thing".

[Madcritter]

last of the three stogies, what type of talk is this, sounds like a babbling idiot to me.

[Jeff]

You wrote: "Sounds like he's anticipating some tough political struggling with the Republicans in these next few months, or trying to create that impression anyway."

So let me get this straight. Are you implying that Obama is somehow being unrealistic or dishonest by implying that he's "anticipating some tough political struggling?" When did you start covering politics? Let me rephrase that: Are you a moron? Of course he's in for a tough political struggle. This is a presidential election. Give me a break.

[Eve Ash]

It's not "stealing a line." It's called literary allusion.

[NOmoreBUllSHit]

DUH, ya think!!!?
After TOO MANY years of Repugnantcan repression, dirty tricks, lies and inuendos, we've ALL learned. Bring a knife, face a gun is FAIR!!!!!

[Mandelay]

Reports in the Jerusalem Post and in Israel Insider claim Obama's brother confirms Barack is a Muslim. Ho hum ... a "stop the smear" web site's work is never done:
Malik Obama confirms his half-brother Barack grew up a Muslim
By Israel Insider staff June 13, 2008

Apparently the Obamas of Kenya have been reading those scurrilous emails to which Barack likes to refer, because they have no doubt -- contrary to the claims of the Obama campaign, that the presidential candidate was raised a Moslem. They take that as a given.

As the Jerusalem Post reports, "Barack Obama's half brother Malik said Thursday that if elected his brother will be a good president for the Jewish people, despite his Muslim background. In an interview with Army Radio he expressed a special salutation from the Obamas of Kenya."

The Obama brothers' father, a senior economist for the Kenyan government who studied at Harvard University, died in car crash in 1982. He left six sons and a daughter. All of his children - except Malik -- live in Britain or the United States. Malik and Barack met in 1985.

In a remarkable denial issued last November that still stands on the official campaign website, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement explaining that "Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian."

Apparently Malik Obama, himself a Muslim, had not read the press release.

Melanie Phillips is the most recent commentator to draw attention to the massive body of evidence that leaves no doubt that Barak Hussein Obama was born a Muslim (Islam is patrilineal) and raised a Muslim (so registered in school, acknowledging attending Islamic classes, reported accompanying his step-father to the mosque, and able to recite the Koran in the original Arabic).

Reuven Koret, Aaron Klein and Daniel Pipes have previously pointed to the attempts by Obama and his campaign to conceal the candidate's Muslim background. The well documented evidence draws upon the on-the-ground interviews by researchers in Indonesia and Kenya, published quotations of Obama's childhood friends and his school records, as well as the candidate's own autobiography.

It is not clear whether Barack Obama will now disown his half-brother Malik, or throw him under the campaign bus, for acknowledging that shared family background. In any case, some one should notify "Fight the Smear" tout de suite. Perhaps they can get him with the program.

[Two jump]

How odd. Here is this champion of the left. One who favors the abolition of the second amendment, going "Ghetto" in an effort to pander to his known constituancy. Well, it's cheap.
Mr. Obama proves more by the day that he is an urbancentric elitist.
We in the rural west doubt very much if we will see him here. Rest assured, his kind of political double speak will not play well here. We prefer straight talk. Many here like God. We pretty much all like and need our guns. We are all bitter. Bitter because we are tired of political hacks, urban lice and oportunists like Obama and his corrupt lap dog Bill Richardson telling us how "Gumment" is our salvation.
We would much prefer a Govt. that went by the Constitution.
Freedom for the West!

[rachel]

What oh my goodness has obama turned into one of those bitter religous people clinging to guns?

[Hiroko]

Andrew, can't you find something to write of substance? Stop parsing every word coming out of the candidates. Focus on the issues otherwise you'll lose you diminishing audience altogether.

[ted in pdx]

The Bush administration has done more damage to this country in 8 years than is fully comprehensible by one mind. Now that Senator McCain has made it clear (to this Republican) that he intends to defend and extend the carnage, I hope Obama drops the consensus talk and spells out the line items, one after another.

For starters, this country is so far south of 'safe' as a consequence of President Bush's impulse play-calling and incompetent follow-through against terrorism, it's time to change course, win the battles we must win (such as the one in Afghanistan), and stop incinerating billions of dollars we've borrowed from China in Iraq. And $2-Trillion in tax cuts looks pretty phony alongside $5-Trillion in new debt. I suspect high-income tax payers would actually go along with higher taxes if it was honestly applied to getting our fiscal house in order.

Anyone who thinks Obama is another George McGovern or Jimmy Carter is in for a surprise. He just showed Hillary Clinton the door to the bleachers, and she's no shrinking violet.

[EddienTexas]

lets see..
first he is too black
then he is too white
then he had bad judgement about attacking al queda in pakistan
then he doesnt have experience in any business (like running the most successful politcal campaign in history while every other of the fantastic candidates all but went bankrupt)
then he was too mild mannered and would be pushed around
now he is too tough
I think i will vote for this guy!!! Obama '08

[ted in pdx]

Obama doesn't have to do anything dirty to sink McCain. All he has to do is lay out the facts with a little emphasis.

Note to the intelligentsia who insist Obama is a Muslim:

So what? Last I looked, being Muslim was legal in the United States. I'll bet you folks are "Proud to be an Americans...", so are you saying that Muslims don't qualify?

I'd like a nickel for every "Great American" out there ready to grab a rope and perform a media-lynching based on hearsay. It's okay, that's part of our tradition. It just doesn't have anything to do with making this country Great.

[Hannibal Silver]

I have noticed an intensifying anti-Obama bias in your reporting. Are you also own by Rupert Murdoch?

[Mr. Unite Us]

Now that Tim Russert is gone who can we count for real political news coverage. Apparently not the L.A. Times.

Homework assignment for the L.A. Times review the legislative record of both candidates.

[Roger Horn]

Every time a Democrat ease up he get blasted. Nixon - How pink is Helen Douglas - his first campaign for House. Last Presidential - quiet approval of the slam unpatriotic campaign against a genuine Viet Nam hero - Kerry. Why expect fairness now. Be ready for below the belt, beneath human dignity attacks. Racism for sure. Republicans have no honor, so all is fair. I don't think McCain will be personally responsible for much of it, but the effect will be the same. Of course, Obama must answer.

[nights]

I think as the campaign gets under way we will see the real Obama. The muslim Oboma will began to come forward. Had he been a white person of either party he would be long gone with his pastor. But claiming to be a black person with a white mother is catching up with him.
Obama shows strong signs of BI-Polar and i think this will also show up in comming weeks.
His zany wife is treading in political waters unknown to her and will find herself butt deep in political crap she herself creates. MIchele needs ot take some kind of personality course and clean her potty mouth.

[Randy]

Who cares anyway? About any of this political "he said - he said" garbage. Obama or McCain... no matter what, your mama will still act insane.

Let me lay it out for "all you disillusioned plantation residents". As long as the American people allow "corporations" and the "government agencies" that support them dictate your families life... "Your destined to live an existence much like a slave".

Our government no longer "represents the interests of its people". Unfortunately, Congress and the President support Corporations first and foremost and allow these same commerical entities to treat people like something that's so easily thrown away... much like toilet paper.

WHEN will America awake?

Let's hope she doesn't wake up with an "angry migraine"

[bobby]

I just cant wait until McCain and Obama square off for a debate. McCain will be so verballly beat down by the elegance of Obama's rhetoric that he might just start having flashbacks as a POW.

[issa]

to bobby. I like your comment.

[Malcolmhowdareu]

How dare u criticize Obama. Don't you know he is the Obamessiah? YOu will be shunned by his followers in the Obama Cult which includes the MSM. Thanks for shedding light on the thinness of this man who expects no criticism and when he gets it he suggest it is unwarranted. Thank you.. Keep it up.

[Willie]

You Go OBIE!!!!!That's right Obama doesn't have to put up with the filthy, lying, manipulative, Rove-Mugabe Republican Machine. This Time Obama is not going to let the GOP define us. The people who can't wait to change Washington. This time the people of this country are reclaiming their Constitution and their right to be govern by the ONE who will speak, and govern by us, not to us. The GOP has really wrecked this country in the past 8 years. We are so far in debt, we are about to even lose Busweiser to the Europeans, and more landmarks to countries in the Middle East. The Global Economy today, is more rich get richer, and the middle class poorer, not only in the states but worldwide. So much for Free Trade the Bush way. So, give them hell Obama, you, Michelle have been gifted with teflon by true Americans. The ones who work for a living and love this country, more than those who claim to be proud Americans and are ready to sell the Statue of Liberty to make a buck, like Dick Cheney and Karl Rove.