Obama to Tennessee GOP: 'Lay off my wife'

[WoodysGirl]

Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama has a message for Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife."

Obama, his party's presidential front-runner, and his wife, Michelle, were asked in an interview aired today on ABC's "Good Morning America" about an online video last week by the state's GOP taking her to task for a comment some considered unpatriotic.

"The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record," Obama said. "If they think that they're going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable, the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family."

He called the strategy "low class."

The video, posted on YouTube, centered on remarks Michelle Obama made while campaigning in Wisconsin last February, when she said: "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country."

The four-minute video replayed the remark six times, interspersing it with commentary by Tennesseans on why they are proud of America. In a news release that included a link to the video, Tennessee's GOP said "the Tennessee Republican Party has always been proud of America." It urged radio stations to play "patriotic music" during Michelle Obama's visit to Nashville last Thursday.

Michelle Obama later clarified the remark, saying she meant she was proud of how Americans were engaging in the political process and that she had always been proud of her country.

"Whoever is in charge of the Tennessee GOP needs to think long and hard about the kind of campaign they want to run, and I think that's true for everybody, Democrat or Republican," Obama said in the ABC interview, adding: "These folks should lay off my wife."

Obama said his wife "loves this country. For them to try to distort or to play snippets of her remarks in ways that are unflattering to her is, I think, just low class. I think that most of the American people would think that as well."

Tennessee's Republican Party was roundly criticized in March, including by likely presidential nominee John McCain, for a news release that used Barack Obama's middle name — Hussein — and showed a photo of him wearing what it said was "Muslim attire."

The release ultimately was removed from the party's Web site at the urging of the state's two Republican senators and Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan, who said he "rejects these kinds of campaign tactics."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/5789582.html

[Danny White]

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[AtlCB]

If she's out campaigning for him, she is fair game. She needs to grow a backbone if she's going to come out spouting controversial statements.

I did agree that the Tennessee GOP went a little too far with the Obama muslim crap.

[Heisenberg]

He's just defending his wife. Any decent spouse would.

[zrinkill]

I would like to know if he defended McCain when his wife was being attacked earlier this year.

[big dog cowboy]

Memo to Obama:

Welcome to the big time.

[Heisenberg]

I would like to know if he defended McCain when his wife was being attacked earlier this year.

The only thing I remember McCain's wife being asked about is her tax returns. For the election, he was and still is using a private jet that she bought. It just raises questions about where they're getting campaign money.

And I don't know if McCain defended his wife in the matter. All I heard is that they wouldn't turn over her tax returns.

[Bach]

Yeah, you can definitely tell Obama is inexperienced at this. As long as his wife wants to make public comments, then she's going to get treated like a public figure.

[Danny White]

He's just defending his wife. Any decent spouse would.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/americanwerewolf2002/076.jpg

Hey you! Get your damn hands off her!

:p:

[ZeroClub]

Going negative is a risky strategy this year.

Obama is pretty good at political judo (i.e., handling the opposition's attacks in such a way that the attack ultimately hurts the opposition).

[The30YardSlant]

She's a flaming racist and a moral laughingstock

She is fair game as far as I am concerned. She has no one to blame but herself and her fat mouth.

[WoodysGirl]

She's a flaming racist and a moral laughingstock

She is fair game as far as I am concerned. She has no one to blame but herself and her fat mouth.Is what she said racist? I thought she caught heat for being unpatriotic.

Guess I'm unpatriotic and/or racist too, cuz I understood exactly what she meant as soon as she said it. Did it come out bad? Probably.

I do agree with everyone that her comments are fair game as long as she's stomping for him during the campaign, tho.

[zrinkill]

She's a flaming racist

She is married to a half breed.

Wonder if my wife is racist? :lmao2:

[The30YardSlant]

Is what she said racist? I thought she caught heat for being unpatriotic.

Guess I'm unpatriotic and/or racist too, cuz I understood exactly what she meant as soon as she said it. Did it come out bad? Probably.

I do agree with everyone that her comments are fair game as long as she's stomping for him during the campaign, tho.

Ever read her college thesis or listen to her comments about "whitey"?

She's a racist. I also don't appreciate the fact that she loathes America so damn much.

[Hostile]

She's a flaming racist and a moral laughingstock

She is fair game as far as I am concerned. She has no one to blame but herself and her fat mouth.Racists are flaming now? Gays have a new ally. [/sarcasm off]

I didn't see her comments as racist at all. I was disappointed in them to be sure, but I can't say what she said was racial.

[Hostile]

Ever read her college thesis or listen to her comments about "whitey"?

She's a racist. I also don't appreciate the fact that she loathes America so damn much.No, where is this information that you have seen?

[WoodysGirl]

No, where is this information that you have seen?
Yeah, I'd be curious to read it, as well. Tho, I know where my head used to be while in undergrad. I'll be the first to admit, I had some "fight the power" in me during those days.

She's in her mid 40s. Undergrad is about 20 or so years ago. We're talking mid to late '60s. I wouldn't be surprised about what would be in it.

[The30YardSlant]

No, where is this information that you have seen?

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_1-251.pdf

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_26-501.pdf

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_51-751.pdf

http://dyn.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_76-981.pdf

http://patriotroom.com/?p=352

Video about her "patriotism"

http://hereticdhammasangha.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/michelle-obama-railing-against-whitey-with-reverend-wright/

[quincyyyyy]

Lets not forget Cindy McCain is a drug attic and a criminal. She has even more baggage than Michelle. The only difference is liberals are more honorable, repukes are dirty people.

[Hostile]

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_1-251.pdf

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_26-501.pdf

http://www.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_51-751.pdf

http://dyn.politico.com/pdf/080222_MOPrincetonThesis_76-981.pdf

http://patriotroom.com/?p=352

Video about her "patriotism"

http://hereticdhammasangha.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/michelle-obama-railing-against-whitey-with-reverend-wright/I'm either missing something or something is missing me. This is reading like a Sociology thesis, not a racial rant.

[AbeBeta]

I'm either missing something or something is missing me. This is reading like a Sociology thesis, not a racial rant.

You are correct Hos -- this is a standard, run of the mill thesis topic (actually the pieces I read were very well written and conceptualized, especially considering she was an undergraduate).

Are people really offended by this? She's studying people like herself. You'll find that huge proportions of theses across the world do exactly the same.

I would posit that if folks are offended by her B.A. Thesis then it is really not the academic work or anything contained in it that is really, deep down, bothering them.

[Heisenberg]

I'm either missing something or something is missing me. This is reading like a Sociology thesis, not a racial rant.

Not missing anything. The drum on this has been beaten quite a bit by Obama's opponents. I guess they figure no one will read it and they can just accuse and people will believe the accusations? Who knows?

[Jordan55]

AlRight, I'll pick on Obama

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/CARTOONS/toon042308c.gif

[Hostile]

You are correct Hos -- this is a standard, run of the mill thesis topic (actually the pieces I read were very well written and conceptualized, especially considering she was an undergraduate).

Are people really offended by this? She's studying people like herself. You'll find that huge proportions of theses across the world do exactly the same.

I would posit that if folks are offended by her B.A. Thesis then it is really not the academic work or anything contained in it that is really, deep down, bothering them.

Not missing anything. The drum on this has been beaten quite a bit by Obama's opponents. I guess they figure no one will read it and they can just accuse and people will believe the accusations? Who knows?Thank you both. I thought maybe I was just being very dense.

[Chief]

I skimmed over it and saw some typos.

That's about all I got out of it.

[Jordan55]

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/CARTOONS/toon022908.gif

[quincyyyyy]

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/CARTOONS/toon022908.gif

I would like to see AL-Qaeda to form a base of operations in a country that is 66% Shiite. That is one of the stupidest reasons for staying in Iraq. I would be more concerned about Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is less of a concern to America than it is to Israel.

[Cajuncowboy]

I say Barack either needs to shut up and take it or get out of the campaign if it's too much for him. She is out there, saying stupid arse things and making him look like an idiot, which isn't really hard to do.

The fact that the only reason she is proud now is that here hubby is getting some attention is more evidence that this guy is bad for our country. Combine the things that she said, and the things that Wright says plus his "friendship" with known terrorists, I think we can pretty much declare this guy a bad choice for America.

[Jordan55]

http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/gm080505.jpg

[ZeroClub]

Obama is counterpunching. Instead of playing it like Kerry - and taking the damage without trying to defend himself - Obama is hitting back.

Go negative on him and he'll do a decent job of painting his attackers as desperate, meanspirited, low minded, etc.

It isn't the case that Obama can't take the criticism. He's just making sure that there is a price for the opposition to pay when they go negative.

That's politics.

... and he's pretty good at it.

[Jordan55]

Obama is counterpunching. Instead of playing it like Kerry - and taking the damage without trying to defend himself - Obama is hitting back.

Go negative on him and he'll do a decent job of painting his attackers as desperate, meanspirited, low minded, etc.

It isn't the case that Obama can't take the criticism. He's just making sure that there is a price for the opposition to pay when they go negative.

That's politics.

... and he's pretty good at it.

Not by recent polls, the negatives are starting to hurt, which is going to keep this presidential race alot closer then people would have thought.
McCain, actually could pull out a victory in November.

[Cajuncowboy]

Obama is counterpunching. Instead of playing it like Kerry - and taking the damage without trying to defend himself - Obama is hitting back.

Go negative on him and he'll do a decent job of painting his attackers as desperate, meanspirited, low minded, etc.

It isn't the case that Obama can't take the criticism. He's just making sure that there is a price for the opposition to pay when they go negative.

That's politics.

... and he's pretty good at it.

LOL. Saying "Lay off my wife" isn't exactly a fierce attack.

[quincyyyyy]

LOL. Saying "Lay off my wife" isn't exactly a fierce attack.


Do you mean like calling Cindy McCain a druggy and a criminal? Would that be better by GOP standards?

[Doomsday101]

Michelle stay home and bake cookies if you don't like the comments. If you are going to campaign then expect others to comment on the statements you make.

[trickblue]

Yeah, I'd be curious to read it, as well. Tho, I know where my head used to be while in undergrad. I'll be the first to admit, I had some "fight the power" in me during those days.

She's in her mid 40s. Undergrad is about 20 or so years ago. We're talking mid to late '60s. I wouldn't be surprised about what would be in it.

and now you ARE the power... funny how things change... :D

[Jordan55]

I apologize, I can't help myself,
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/cartoons/toon052008.gif

[quincyyyyy]

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/cartoons/toon052008.gif
I could be wrong but that seems like a bust Abraham Lincoln next to the sign. Sort of ironic since Lincoln was a mere Illinois state senator when he became president.

[WoodysGirl]

and now you ARE the power... funny how things change... :D
That's why there are so many complaints about me power-tripping...and I love it. ~evil grin~

[DallasFanSince86]

I apologize, I can't help myself,
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IMAGES/cartoons/toon052008.gif

:muttley: