Fred Barnes: Obama Falsely Claims Banking Committee Membership


It seems Barack Obama had a "senior moment" on Wednesday during his trip to Israel regarding which Senate committees he is a member of. On the same day's Special Report with Brit Hume, during the "Fox All Stars" segment, the Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes called out Obama for his claim, which the Illinois Senator made while trying to impress Israeli reporters, that he is a member of the Senate Banking Committee, as he took credit for the passage of legislation regarding Iran. Barnes: "[Obama] was trying to brag about how tough he was on the Iranians, and he said his committee, the Senate Banking Committee, had passed a resolution ... that would have caused American firms to divest of Iranian interests. And the trouble is, he's not on that committee. ... And he didn't vote for it. That would be a senior moment if McCain did it."

Indeed, the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs membership roster does not list Obama's name. But during a news conference, which aired live Wednesday morning during CNN Newsroom, Obama seemed to embellish his resume: "Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don't have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon." (Transcripts follow)

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Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Wednesday, July 23, Special Report with Brit Hume on FNC, followed by the relevant question and answer between Obama and an unidentified reporter, as seen during the July 23 CNN Newsroom:

From the July 23 Special Report:

BARACK OBAMA: I think that what I said in response was that I would, at my time and choosing, be willing to meet with any leader if I thought it would promote the national security interests of the United States of America.

BRIT HUME: This is the question and answer that he was referring to when he spoke of his response. It came in a debate earlier, excuse me, a debate about a year ago exactly today that was aired by CNN and YouTube. And here is the exchange.

STEPHEN SORTA, WHO SUBMITTED A QUESTION TO CNN: Would you be willing to meet separately, without pre-condition, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?

OBAMA: I would. The notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them, which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration, is ridiculous.

HUME: Well, that issue came up, as you saw today, on Obama's visit to Israel. And we have some thoughts about it from a couple of very eager guys, as you might have seen, who couldn't wait to get in here. Fred Barnes, Executive Editor of the Weekly Standard, Mort Kondracke, Executive Editor of Roll Call, and the more reticent syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer, all are Fox News contributors, and, in their way, all are equally eager. All right. Well, what about this today? It came up again. What about his representation of what he said, and what about how it comports or does not comport with what he actually said? Fred?

FRED BARNES: Well, you know, now he claims to have said in the original answer to the question in that debate, this stuff about I'd only meet Ahmadinejad and the others at his own time of choosing, and only if it were going to promote the national security interests of the United States. Well, those are not things he said originally. And this has been a statement that I think most people recognized at the time was one that might get him in trouble, and it continues to get him in trouble. Look, this isn't the first time he said that, he's made up things and claimed he said them back then when he really didn't. Another thing he said today, which is something that would certainly gotten John McCain in trouble, he said, he was trying to brag about how tough he was on the Iranians, and he said his committee, the Senate Banking Committee, had passed a resolution, or something, that would have caused American firms to divest of Iranian interests. And the trouble is, he's not on that committee.

HUME: Not only is it not his committee, he's not even on it, right?

BARNES: And he didn't vote for it. That would be a senior moment if McCain did it.

From the July 23 Q&A with reporters, which was shown about 10:45 a.m. during CNN Newsroom:

QUESTION: Senator Obama, you said in AIPAC convention that the undivided Jerusalem could continue to be the capital city. Then you changed it and clarified later on. The people in Israel wonder how could you be sure if you are the statesmen, that you are going to be committed to the security and safety of Israel and you're not going to change it even when you're the President of the United States?

OBAMA: First of all, I didn't change my statement. I continued to say that Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel. And I have said that before, and I will say it again. And I also have said that it is important that we don't simply slice the city in half. But I've also said that that's a final status issue. That's an issue that has to be dealt with with the parties involved, the Palestinians and the Israelis. And it's not the job of the United States to dictate the form in which that will take, but rather to support the efforts that are being made right now to resolve these very difficult issues that have a long history.

Now, in terms of knowing my commitments, you don't have to just look at my words, you can look at my deeds. Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon.


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It's one thing

It's one thing to twist things and maybe fib here and there.  They all do it.

But don't just flat out lie.  That's just...unethical.

Either that, or he is

the banking committee, which is my committee......

Yup, flat-out lie.

Either that, or he is "losing his bearings" .....if so, he shouldn't be "wandering around" over there in Europe and the Middle East.... (parroting their shots at McCain).....

This is the kind of senseless, pathological lying that Clinton did. The scary thing is that he seems so confident that he can get away with it! But I suppose that is typical of the pathological liar, which he is showing signs of becoming.

The more I hear from him, the more he reminds me of Bill Clinton.

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson

→ motherbelt

He may not be losing his bearings, but Jesse Jackson has offered to help.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Are you sure he has

Are you sure he has bearings to lose? The lack of a backbone (demonstrable in this subject) tends to correlate with the absence of certain other features. Of course I'm talking about well-exercised higher level cognitive functions. What else could I mean?

www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.

"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi

No Gaffe!

I believe the Messiah was absolutely correct in his reference to the Banking Committee -- he was speaking of the UNIVERSAL BANKING COMMITTEE OF THE EARTH.

The Messiah never -- NEVER -- makes a mistake. Got it?!

I wonder if this guy is

I wonder if this guy is smart enough to see the hole he is digging?

Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!

I wonder if this country is

I wonder if this country is smart enough to see the hole they are digging.

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31

??? Save a SeAL, club a

???

Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!

Who's "we"?

That is not the Senate Banking Committee I knew.

You guys are being just way

You guys are being just way tooooo picky.  You know very well that Obama meant to say, "if" I were on the committee I "would" have done thus and so.  You guys need to learn lib speech, and interpret correctly, he was speeking of what would have happened if he were on the committee and it did happen spiritually.   <sarcasm>

The facts mean nothing, it's the intent, now stop being so nitpickily literal, jeeesh!!!! You conservatives have just no imagination... <do I really need to say SARCASM?>

 Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.  

Upon hearing him

say " don't take my words, look at my deeds".and I thought to myself, he is not on the Banking committee???

Not words? MY deeds?

His deeds are LIES!

Thanks for the tip SOBama

 

It's Official!

Barama has now taken the "Lying POS Award" away from Hillary. When asked to comment Barama said, "20 years with Rev. Wright has set me upon the righteous path". Michelle and her children must be very proud.

Dr. Franken...

Well they both are liberals are they not? This easily explains the LYING.

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

I never dreamed I'd see a

I never dreamed I'd see a more flagrant and unapologetic liar than HRC. I really should know better than to believe the Dems had selected the more honest (yes, I recognize the tremendously subjective nature of that comparison) serial liar, er... politician as their candidate.

www.rhjunior.com Great comics with a hefty dose of Christian and anti-nutjob goodness.

"With your mind as high as Mt. Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things near to you." -Miyamoto Musashi

I'm amazed that this guy can

I'm amazed that this guy can just blatantly lie and it hardly gets noticed. There's something up with Obama because people fawn all over him and ignore his outright lies. I was thinking of going third party, but I'm fairly certain I'll vote McCain just to vote against Obama.

WWJD?  I seem to remember

WWJD?  I seem to remember Jesus saying we shall know them by their fruits and that Jesus damned a tree for producing no fruit.  So Jesus is daming Obama right now for telling bald faced lies and having no fruits?

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Quite the Biblical scholar

Quite the Biblical scholar aren't you.

No I am but a poor

No I am but a poor fisherman who has in his time caught a few fish.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Watch the Fox News All Star Show.

Obama never said he was a member. The Fox All Star got it all wrong again.

"U.S. Senator Barack Obama today applauded the Senate Banking, Housing
and Urban Affairs Committee's passage of the Comprehensive Iran
Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2008, which includes
provisions Obama offered last year in the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act
of 2007 (S. 1430)."

http://obama.senate....

I know how to win wars!

Biff, go to your

Biff, go to your room.

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

It is what it is.

Hate to spoil the hate-fest with facts.

I know how to win wars!

Biff your links were to

Biff your links were to Obama website and had little in common with the statements he made in Israel.  Basically Obama lied outright and he was caught.  As a troll you really suck, think of getting another line of work. 

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Biff, I think you're wrong

Biff, I think you're wrong on this one, as far as I can tell:

"Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran..." 

My Bad!

Whoops, I missed that part. Guess I'll vote for McCain.

Four more years! Four more years! Four more wars!

 

→ You just can't, Biff

I'm not ready for the Earth to wobble on its axis.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

LOL

LOL

"Facts?"

"...we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee,..."

He said it. THAT'S a fact.

Well, at least Obama knows

Well, at least Obama knows where Iraq is.  McCain thought it was on the Pakistan border.  Guess he forgot about that little country call Iran.  Yeah, McCain will run a great war, if ever figures out how to find it!

Mixing up countries in the

Mixing up countries in the Middle East is one thing.

You might not want to brag about Obama's geographical prowess, goldie.

You don't know for a fact that he "knows" where Iraq is in relation to Pakistan; you're just assuming.  And that might be a little presumptuous of you....after all,  he thinks Arkansas is closer to Kentucky than Illinois. And he's FROM Illinois.

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson

He's not exactly a geography whizkid, either

Yes, and according to Obama we also need more Arabic-speakers to serve as translators in Afghanistan.

Isn't Obama the clown who

Isn't Obama the clown who thinks there are 57 states in the US?  No doubt that escaped your attention, goldbar. 

"Isn't Obama the clown who

"Isn't Obama the clown who thinks there are 57 states in the US?"

No, he's the clown who thinks there are 60 states. He had already visited 57, with 2 to go. He wanted to go to Hawaii too, but his handlers wouldn't let him.

quote

"Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee..."

How do you interpret/spin that?

"I know how to win

"I know how to win wars!"

Oh, so it was you that advised General Did Not Betray Us You P.O.S. MoveOn.Org And Pant Suit Clinton Petraus on the surge?

Well done! 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

"I know how to win wars!"

Apparently, he says things like this, then attacks while the enemy is incapacitated with laughter.

Indiana Joe & Blonde

Haha...

Yeah, this piece of work and FlashInPanKing -- who can both be seen sporting face paint, a big red nose, bow tie, striped and wildly-colored pants, and oversized shoes -- are part of the new crop of trolls. Disappointing.

Blonde, take it away...

:)

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

----

Apparently, he says things like this, then attacks while the enemy is incapacitated with laughter.

Very good, I.J.

"I know how to win wars!"

IJ...

The next time you see the ad for the movie "HYPE" which is just starting to be advertised here on this site, click on it to go and watch the trailer for the movie. The top video is the commercial being shown on TV. The video directly below it is the trailer. The trailer is a little over 4 minutes long, but if you want an idea how he will be as a commander in chief, listen to what he says from the 3:33 thru 3:41 minute mark. This guy will NOT protect us, he will disarm us!

This guy scares the S*** out of me!

 

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

→ HYPE

How long will YOUTBE allow HYPE viewing.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Cool...

Are you taking bets?

 

 

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

Yes, Clear

Payable in rhetorical currency.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Ok, Cool...

I'll bet you two Messiahs it will be pulled by noon tomorrow (oops, I mean today). 

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

You're on

Because the original was sent back by the NYT for a timetable for withdrawal on the Larry Sinlair segment.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Cheater!

 

 

45 Communist Goals for America http://www.nationmakers.com/com_goals.htm

"I know how to win

"I know how to win wars!....Now if I can just find that pesky Iraq-Pakistan border..."

And get the Arabic

And get the Arabic translators over to Afghanistan pronto!

And don't forget Arkansas is a "nearby" state to Kentucky! With 10,000 dead prolly.

What language do you think

What language do you think al-Quaeda speaks?  I'll save you the trouble of looking it up--Arabic.

You're funny. And every

You're funny.
And every communication from every AQ member is in arabic?
You would know this how?

That's some pretty good spin, yeah I'm sure that's what BO was thinking.

"You would know this how?" I

"You would know this how?"

I read...A LOT! 

Great. So you have a link?

Great. So you have a link?

→ I read . . . A LOT

He recently finished reading a novel that begins;

"Here I sit, all brokenhearted . . ."

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

I wonder what language Adam

I wonder what language Adam Gadahn speaks?
Ooops kind of shoots that "all AQ speak Arabic" down.

Off to join the so cal traffic. later.

I think his pal

Leadweight & Steeltrap probably read to him.

Well, not quite...

Yes, Osama is Saudi.  However, I don't think we're getting information on the ground from him.  I think we need translators to talk to the people in the villages - you know, the Afghan people? - who could give us information!  Don't need Arabic for that!

Hey masterofidiocy--you

Hey masterofidiocy--you better brush up on your U.S. geography if you don't think Arkansas is 'near' Kentucky. They're a c-hair away from sharing a border! 

Uh, goldie, he was pretty

goldie, he said Clinton had the advantage, being from a "nearby" state. So apparently he doesn't think Illinois is a "nearby" state to Kentucky, even though the two actually DO share a border.

He blew it. Take it like a man.

Ididn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson

motherbelt

This windbag apparently calls most people idiots.

Projection, perhaps? 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

Aaaah, Goldbar, ya got us

Aaaah, Goldbar, ya got us there. What can we say? A McCain gaffe, and there's no spinning it.

Btw, we've just about won in Iraq. How do you feel about this? 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

Btw, we've just about won in

"Btw, we've just about won in Iraq. How do you feel about this?"

Time to bring the troops home then.  Better inform you commander-in-cheif-wannabe because he wants our troops to die there for the next 100 years. 

No, but how do you feel

No, but how do you feel about us winning? Are you happy for this?

And yes, we should start bringing them home, no question. 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

I'm glad to see someone here

I'm glad to see someone here has some sense, and yes I'm happy we won.  Too bad our republican leaders refuse to believe it.

Refuse to believe what?

Refuse to believe what? Soldiers are still in Iraq holding down the fort. Also, soldiers are not being blown up anymore so we're not losing any more good men and women. I'm sure our military leaders have some clue what they're doing, having succeeded to this point.

They'll come home. Patience is a virture, Goldbar.

".... so is breathing!"

- Cary Grant, North By Northwest 

(and something liberals lack... as well as far-sightedness. They need their instant gratification, and their candidates to have that "rock star" glow.) 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

Also, soldiers are not being

Also, soldiers are not being blown up anymore so we're not losing any more good men and women.

You're an idiot. Read the news. 

Granted, correction: an

Granted, correction: an occasional bomb goes off, and unfortunately we lose a soldier here and there. An occasional thief shoots a police officer and we lose the occasional cop here and there. Get it?

It's unfortunate that you're mindless and raging anti-fight-for-peace compells you to call me names, but it's not surprising.

You la-la land double-idiot, it's something called "war", and you just admitted that we've basically won it.

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

→ Shy

You had him at "How do you feeeeel"

LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Cool A

Deep down, I'll bet you anything that a**wipe is happy there are even one or two soldiers still dying -- even one a month will suffice -- so he can continue his/her rant to "bring them home".

Libs. Superficial no-nothings. 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

→ Another angle Shy

They were so hoping to see Obama surrender immediately after taking office.

Now they're stuck with some sort of formal apology from their messiah to Al Qaeda;

"We sincerely regret provoking you into the attack on the World Trade Center"

Small wonder the left is angry.

CA

Yeah, you better believe those SOB's in their caves (dead or alive but dying) are sorry they perpetrated 9/11.

I'm sure Allah is turning in his grave, too. :p 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

→ But tomorrow

But some 30 years from now "Che" Tshirts will have been replaced in America with "bin Ladin".

It's as though we're afraid if we cure a pimple, we won't get to use the mirror anymore.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

CA

"I'm glad to see someone here has some sense"  

Btw, in a startling, single-post 180 turnaround, I went from being the one person having some sense here, to an idiot.

Emotion always gets the best of them. 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

→ Why the urgency now

Goldbar, it's been 60 years.  Why are you just now demanding we withdraw troops from Europe?

We did win in Europe, didnt we?

Oh, we're not talking about Europe?  Why not?

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

CA

Peel away the next layer on the liberal onion, and they don't want troops in any country, anywhere.

Peel yet another layer away, they don't want or really see the need for troops at all.

Peel one more away, and it really means get rid of the military and that awful, evil pentagon... and remove the title "Commander In Chief" all together from a U.S. President's job title/description.

The last layer has us in fluffy-fluff land, where there is zero crime and violence, and the POTUS just checks in on things from time to time. 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

→ Shy

And we are tended to by fluffy cuddly polar bears.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Haha... yes :) But wait, we

Haha... yes :) But wait, we need the polar bears where the melting ice-caps are, or they'll keep melting!  

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

  Peel yet another And

 

Peel yet another

And they want our boarders wide open so they can all come here and create havoc

 

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

GC

Liberals are miserable creatures.

Yes, all of them. I am totally generalizing and calling you all out.... libturds!

/sarc 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

Oh, we're not talking about

Oh, we're not talking about Europe?  Why not?

Because no troops in Europe have been killed in the last sixty years.   

→ Circular argument Goldbar

Then why do we have troops in Europe?

I think you're chasing your tail here, Golbar.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Man, Copperbar, your heart

Man, Copperbar, your heart bleeds for every one soldier lost, who's nobley battling for yours and the world's freedom and peace.

If only your heart would bleed more for the millions that DON'T die in any sort of vain, under dictators, radical Islamists, etc..

Blonde, we need you! ;) We have a bad-smelling, name-calling troll issue here. 

 

* * * SOCKS THE CAT '08 * * *
For REAL Change

Yeah, sure. But YOUR "C-in-C

Yeah, sure. But YOUR "C-in-C wanna-be" wants to send them to Afghanistan, not "bring them home." And of course, you're all for that, right?

Well "my committee"

Well "my committee" certainly sounds like claiming to be on the Banking committee.

"U.S. Senator Barack Obama today applauded the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee's..." Yeah a committee he isn't even a member of.

Where is this "hate fest"? All I see is a Foam at the Mouth Fest from you.

Biff do you need glasses?

Obama did say he was on that committee, he even claimed he was the chairman: "Just this past week, we passed out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, which is my committee, a bill to call for divestment from Iran, as a way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don't obtain a nuclear weapon."

Where did he claim he was

Where did he claim he was the chairman?

→ Old trick Goldbar

Seems Truff left you one little morsel hanging out there.

You fell for the bait thinking it was a lifeline when it just herded you into the implicit admission of:

"OK so he lied about the commitee, but he wasn't the chairman"

Well played Truff.

  • LYDSEXICS UNTIE

Just answer the question.

Just answer the question.  Oh I forgot.  Obama never claimed he was the chairman.