Echoing Reed, Fox News' Gibson asked whether "President Barack will blame America first"
SUMMARY: On Fox News' The Big Story with Gibson & Nauert, Republican strategist and former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed said of the recent comments made by Michelle Obama, wife of Sen. Barack Obama: "[I]t plays into a stereotype about the left wing of the Democratic Party, that it blames America first, that they don't see the greatness of America." Echoing Reed, host John Gibson later asked, "Does that mean that President Barack will blame America first?"
On the February 19 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with Gibson & Nauert, during a discussion of comments made by Michelle Obama, wife of Sen. Barack Obama, Republican strategist and former Christian Coalition director Ralph Reed asserted, "[T]he reason why I think this isn't going to go away, unless she apologizes quickly, is because it plays into a stereotype about the left wing of the Democratic Party, that it blames America first, that they don't see the greatness of America, and it really makes me wonder as somebody who is roughly about Barack and Michelle's age, what country she grew up in." Co-host John Gibson later said to Fox News political analyst Kirsten Powers, "Kirsten, let's put it this way: Michelle Obama is finally proud of the U.S. Does that mean that President Barack will blame America first?" Powers replied, "Well, actually, listening to that little speech that Ralph just gave, I mean, why do people think that about liberals? It's because people do what Ralph just did."
During the segment, Fox News broadcast an on-air graphic that featured pictures of Sen. Obama and Michelle Obama and read: "MICHELLE OBAMA FINALLY PROUD OF U.S.A. Will Prez Barack Blame America First?"
Gibson characterized Michelle Obama's comments as "the patriotism flap." As Media Matters for America documented, during the February 19 edition of Fox News' America's Pulse, host E.D. Hill asked Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume about Michelle Obama's comments. Hume went on to assert, "[T]here is this feeling, and it has affected Democratic politicians for a long time, that they are kind of embarrassed by patriotism."
From the February 19 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with Gibson & Nauert:
GIBSON: Meanwhile, the candidates' wives are battling it out on the campaign trail. Michelle Obama is now under fire for her controversial comments about being proud of her country.
MICHELLE OBAMA [video clip]: And let me tell you something. For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.
GIBSON: And today, Cindy McCain came right back at her over the patriotism flap.
CINDY McCAIN [video clip]: I'm proud of my country. I don't know about you if you heard those words earlier. I'm very proud of my country, and I'm proud to be a person that has voted in elections and I hope that all of you will do so today.
GIBSON: With us now, Fox News political analyst Kirsten Powers, a Democrat, and GOP strategist Ralph Reed. Ralph, if I can go to you first. Michelle Obama apparently slipped up. Now she did it twice. What do you think the importance of what she said is -- a lot or a little?
REED: Well, I think, you know, look, they're under the glare of the spotlight now, John. And this is what it's like to be the front-runner. And it can be revealing and sometimes unintentionally so. And this is not what the Obama campaign or the candidate wanted after spending really the last two days fighting over whether or not he was cribbing or plagiarizing lines from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's [D] speech.
Now you get this, and the problem is, the reason why I think this isn't going to go away, unless she apologizes quickly, is because it plays into a stereotype about the left wing of the Democratic Party, that it blames America first, that they don't see the greatness of America, and it really makes me wonder as somebody who is roughly about Barack and Michelle's age, what country she grew up in. I mean, I was proud of America when we won the Cold War, and the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union disintegrated. I was proud when we expelled Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. I was proud when we liberated 50 million people from the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. I was proud when we provided humanitarian aid to the victims of an earthquake in Iran and to a tsunami in Asia.
You know, I think there's a lot to have been proud about, and I think the other thing it does is it plays into this weakness that's developing that the Obama candidacy is sort of a modern political equivalent of Beatlemania rather than a legitimate aspiration to be commander-in-chief.
GIBSON: Kirsten, let's put it this way: Michelle Obama is finally proud of the U.S. Does that mean that President Barack will blame America first?
POWERS: Well, actually, listening to that little speech that Ralph just gave, I mean, why do people think that about liberals? It's because people do what Ralph just did.
"Fair and Balanced"
Whatever, Ralph Reed is luny toons anyways.
One needs to realize that the sneered "blame America first" meme thrown as a cutting insult at "leftists" is a natural one for the Rightwing ...
BECAUSE ... the Rightwing is all about "blaming ANYBODY ELSE first". Blame the poor, blame the victims of natural disaster, blame the ragheads, blame anybody or everybody before ever taking personal responsibility. And if all else fails, NEVER take personal responsibility.
Case in point: Asked about a failing economy for most Americans, Bush KNOWS that the economy is just fine for his pals at Haliburton and Exxon, so what can he do? He blames construction workers for "building too many houses." His economic policies cannot be to blame, his embracing of international markets which benefit only the biggest corporations cannot be a factor, it's all about building HOMES.
Rightwingers, the "BLAME ANYONE AND EVERYONE ELSE FIRST" folks. They think it's "patriotism" ... because they have no concept of what patriotism really MEANS.
Or, on Fox business shows, they blame the housing crisis on uninformed homeowners, who are too stupid to realize they took out an adjustable rate mortgage.
But the best was when they blame Clinton for not getting Bin Laden. That one's priceless and projection at its best.
Seriously...she creeps me out.
Wow, I thought it was just me. Well, at least you could tell by her non-comment in today's follow-up that she "knows her place".
No, LostSoul, actually I do know a little about Cindy McCain. She's a Budweiser beer heiress from Arizona. John McCain is about 18 years older than she is. I think she was 25 and McCain was 43 when they hooked up. McCain was still married to his first wife when they met.
In the early nineties Cindy developed an addiction to Percocet and Vicodin. She was actually stealing drugs from a medical relief agency she had founded. She was busted by the DEA around, oh, 1996 maybe. She was able to stay out of jail by going into rehab, Betty Ford, I believe, through a diversionary program.
Cindy said that both of her parents could tell she was a drug addict and needed help. Oddly, though, John McCain said he was "shocked" to learn that Cindy was addicted to Vicodin and Percocet. He had no idea. That's always made me wonder how close he really was to his wife. I mean, how can a wife be addicted to Percocet and Vicodin for three years or more and her husband have no idea. John found out about Cindy's addiction through her lawyer, BTW. Then for political damage control they called in three reporters, print, television and radio to give them friendly exclusives to break the story sympathetically.
I like women but Cindy McCain creaps me out. With her perfectly coifed hair and tailored outfits and that smile frozen on her face she looks like a Stepford Wife. Weird eyes, too. My wife finds her creapy, too, so it's not just me.
Well, look, I'd like to tell you more but I've gotta run and my fingers are cramping. But let me know if you want to know more about Cindy, okay?
I am certainly glad the left has no intention of sinking to cheap diversionary tactics when it comes to this election, they would never stoop to sliming candidate's wives by dredging up their past, or focusing on such ridiculous irrelevancies like their dress, their hair, or their eyes, or their "creepiness".
Nope, it's all substance and issues, whew.......
Jeez, what is your problem...?
(BTW, Cindy McCain is creepy looking. But she is prouder to be an American than Michelle Obama is. In fact, she's always been proud to be an American. Yep, she comes from a proud family. Rich, proud American family.) ;>)
Cindy McCain was just a piece of young, blonde arm candy for whom John McCain dumped his not as unattractive, older first wife. IMO Cindy McCain looks like a glazed over Stepford Wife and her public appearances with her husband look stage crafted. Cindy McCain is still John McCain's arm candy...she's just not young any more.
And, BTW, Cindy McCain's drug addiction and her systematic theft of drugs, in addition to how she avoided prosecution are all well documented. Congrats to Cindy if she's no longer a thieving drug addict. But it's still part of who she is.
I don't think you missed anything, Irony. MO didn't say anything derogatory, and hardly anybody's falling for this one, even the bottom of the barrel dittoheads. The only people I've heard really trying to spiin this are those who get their paycheck for going on tv and radio to promote the GOP.
The sloppy editing of the word "really" from the quote is pretty much a confession that their hallucinating.
Also, notice the absence of righty trolls posting here who are on board with it (and there have been some stoopid ones around recently). I've been wrong about it before, but the GOP media may have finally found that point where they were able to underestimate their target audience.
This poor woman. No matter what she says or does, from this day forward this will be with her -and on the tip of the tongue of every wingnut - for the rest of her life.
Cleve, don't feel sorry for Michelle, feel sorry for Republican/conservative blowhards who will find they have met their match in Michelle. She did not get to where she is in life nor overcome all that life has thrown her by being afraid of these poor excuses for men. They will find themselves cowering from her cause this "sister" appears not to put up with a lot of bull sh*t.
Something very screwy is going on around here.
Michelle Obama made the same speech twice, apparently.
Gibson's clip is from different time and place than the Breitbart clip linked by MMFA.
The caption and headline of the Breibart clip quote her as saying "I am really proud of my country," yet the clip appears to have the word "really" edited out of the audio, just like the clip I saw on YouTube.
Gibson's clip simply shows her saying "I am proud of my country" and does not look edited.
How nice that a political hack who took dirty money from Jack A. (the profanity filter hates his last name) can get some sort of credibility as a political strategist.
Yep, the flow of A bram off money was too complicated and dry of a story for media coverage but they have plenty of time to dissect the speech of someone who isn't running for office at all.
Produced via a no bid contract. Independent audit of the product revealed upon examination all the stopping power of a wet sock.
Profit motives found paper machai the ideal composite for the impliment. But the lead shot was replaced by small element packing foam. The epoxy suffered cost cutting (but not price cutting) to become traditional water and wheat flour. Easy on the flour. Which under careful anaylsis, a volunteer tasted it, was somehow found to be sand.
A product much like our media. The crust may appear formidable and of a weighty in aspect. Examination reveals a foam filling and sand deposits wherever its been shaken about.
Of course, the irony in your response Chris is that I'm mocking this patriotic fervor that attempts to strangle any valid criticism of the US (and believe me there is plenty). You swing around and try to blanket me with the charge that all US actions are bad.
Both my sarcastic post, and your serious scolding response, are simplistic black and white attitudes. Which was my whole point. Get a clue.
You really are funny....no really.
BTW, your feelings about the United States are well known. From your inane assertions about the use of the atom bomb on Japan to your blind partisan understandings of our involvement in Vietnam. You just can't stand it when someone points out your sarcasm is as silly as the sarcasm in my post. Here is a clue....It was Col. Mustard with the candlestick in the study. God you "blame America first" crowd never cease to amaze me. You are thankful for nothing.
Sarcasm?
Blame Fox second. They are blaming America first.
America is too diverse a country--"from the mountains ... to the prairies ... to the oceans ..." to lump everybody into one mudpuddle along with Fox.
If Fox has a problem with Michelle being proud of her country--REALLY proud--then they need to ask themselves whether they're serving the public interest.
I would say, no, they're not.
I am certainly glad the left has no intention of sinking to cheap diversionary tactics .... Tommy
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Nice try, Tommy.... but if you were meaning to refer to "some" on the left, here's a hint for you: Include the word "some." That way, it won't appear that you are painting an entire side with the same broad brush.
But as usual, you're doing your part to keep America's straw industry from falling into recession. :)
Keep up the good work!!!