Krauthammer: 'My Chances of Getting Medal of Freedom From Obama About Equal to Saddam Hussein’s'
The folks on PBS's "Inside Washington" had some fun as the program moved to a conclusion Friday.
The topic of discussion was Barack Obama awarding Medals of Freedom Tuesday, and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer was unimpressed by the President "indulging himself in thanking people he’s always liked" (humorous video follows with transcript and commentary):
GORDON PETERSON: The nation's highest civilian honor went to fifteen worthy individuals this week.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, historian John Lewis will come to mind – an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PETERSON: On March 7, 1965, Bloody Sunday at Selma, Alabama’s Edmund Pettus bridge, John Lewis suffered a fractured skull as Alabama’s state troopers attacked him and 600 other civil rights marchers. John Lewis, President George H.W. Bush, Maya Angelou, Stan Musial, Bill Russell, Warren Buffett -- pick a favorite, Charles.
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Look, these are wonderful guys and women. Lewis is a national hero. To me this is a little bit self-indulgent. It seems to me this it is a President and senior staff gets to hang a medal around his childhood heroes. I guess if you’re the President you get perks like Air Force One and this. But to me, it is a President indulging himself in thanking people he’s always liked. I don’t begrudge it going to John Lewis. I don’t want to be a skunk be a skunk at the party, but is it really a necessary party?
NINA TOTENBERG: You really think George H.W. Bush was a childhood hero of?
PETERSON: He was a hero.
TOTENBERG: He needs balance so he obviously has to have a Republican and having a Bush is a good idea.
COLBY KING, WASHINGTON POST: Would you turn it down? Would you say, “No, I do not want that medal, Mr. President?”
PETERSON: You’re being self-indulgent.
TOTENBERG: You are a skunk at the party.
KRAUTHAMMER: My chances of being awarded the Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama are about equal to Saddam Hussein’s and it’s not given posthumously. Or is it? Perhaps it is.
Yes it is.
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Comments
→ Maya Angelou
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 5:38pm.
Congratulations to prostitute, and cathouse madam, Maya Angelou.
Ahm a tree!" Beautiful poetry, Maya.
I can certainly see why the President would hang a medal around her neck.
Count me among the knuckledraggers
Submitted by WhoIsJohnGalt on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 10:35am.
that have no clue whatsoever why she is admired. Her "poetry" is the worst drivel that a liberal arts professor could dredge up and shove down the throats of his students. She's a talentless, self-important, puffed up waste of red blood cells.
The stuff she spews out in the name of poetry is akin to the Emporer's New Clothes. And I'm not referring to the eloquence of the story, but the onlookers who haven't got the guts to admit aloud that she's a hack.
Well, the 'Hammer' got sucked
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 6:21pm.
Well, the 'Hammer' got sucked into they Boy Blunder hype early on, if I remember correctly, so it's good to see that he has figured out that is WAS a hype.................other than that temporary miscalculation, I'm usually a pretty big fan of Krauthammer. And, as far as the medal goes, or anything else like that - Boy Blunder could only WISH that he KNEW as much as Charles Krauthammer FORGOT last week!!!! One brain is major league All-Star, the other brain is little leage bench-warmer.
WATERING DOWN THE MEDAL.......
Submitted by Herbster on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 7:36pm.
Unfortunately, the Medal of Freedom is being watered down to the level of mr. obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. The 9th circuit has said that you can wear the Medal of Honor if you want to....even if you were not awarded it. I have to go now. I'm attending a formal affair this evening and have to polish up my Croix de Guerre, my Medal of Honor, and my medal awarded in 3rd grade for spelling, "Mississippi."
Actually, the chances of Charles Krauthammer, who is Jewish
Submitted by virginia republican on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 8:13pm.
(and conserevative) being awarded the Medal of Freedom by Obama are MUCH less than Obama's awarding that medal to Saddam Hussein, who was Muslim and a statist. In fact, even UBL stands a better chance.
You got that right...The awarding of the Medal of Freedom...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 8:38pm.
has begun to be used as a payoff for political support, as was made very clear by Obama when he gave it to a pro-Obama environmentalist and a union bigwig, John Lewis, who is a Dem congressman, as well as Obama supporter Warren Buffet, an Hispanic civil rights activist, and a Kennedy (Jean Kennedy Smith). The MoF is also ridiculously given at times to musicians, artists and sports stars...Why, I'll never know. Besides the political payoff recipients, the ones that really make me nuts are the sport stars...These people play a game for a living, make an outrageous amount of money for it, and for that, some are given the MoF?? What crap.
The only people that received the MoF this year that should have received it are President H.W. Bush (for obvious reasons), Dr. Tom Little, a doctor who was murdered by the Taliban, and Gerda Weissmann Klein, a holocaust survivor who founded Citizenship Counts, an organization that teaches students to cherish being American citizens. These are the only ones who received this award this year, that truly deserved it.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
Wow..........now I'm trying
Submitted by killa37 on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 9:00pm.
Wow..........now I'm trying to figure out how a Holocast survivor who started an organization called 'Citizenship Counts' that teaches people how to 'cherish' being Americans could EVER qualify for this 'honor', and especially have it presented to her by the Kenyan Kommie Kreep!!!!!
In addition, given Obama's apparent attitude toward Israel...
Submitted by PrairieSky on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 9:30pm.
one could consider Mrs. Klein's inclusion into the group, somewhat surprising...At least he got a few of the recipients right.
I was not aware of her or her organization before this...What an amazing woman she is.
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them (our children) to do the same." ~President Ronald Reagan
I am Carefully Impressed By The Awardees
Submitted by Boil It Down on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 8:54pm.
Many more were deserving than nominated and some awarded were questionably deserving.
As for Charles Krauthammer's award, I guess he'll have to make due with our gratitude. I somehow think he doesn't think much more of these awards than I do. They have lost so much meaning. As someone recently said "they've become like the participation awards to give them self esteem". Well..you can't give someone self esteem, it has to be earned.
Good news, Chuck
Submitted by Vonu on Sat, 02/19/2011 - 9:17pm.
Obama's changing the name to the Medal of Sefdom and you're at the top of the list.
Ad specialty item
Submitted by gwalt on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 9:24am.
Anyone know someone in ad specialty items? We could have a few hundred thousand "Obama Medals of Freedom" handed out to just about anyone."A lot of briefing for a 2 hr. special with Dan Rather. Saw the show & wonder why we bothered". Ronald Reagan
Medals don't mean much with Obama
Submitted by Nightfly on Sun, 02/20/2011 - 10:52am.
This is the guy that received the Nobel Peace Prize for what?
a) Being the first black U.S. President
b) His"Hope and Change" mantra.
c) His promise to destroy the U.S.
d) All of the above
At least the majority of these people have done something noteworthy in their lives that deserves honor and respect. Obama has done nothing but dismantle what is good about this country.