Blogging for U.S. News & World Report, Paul Bedard reported a double standard in how President Obama and President Bush were treated (or ridiculed) when each wished Jews a Happy New Year a little early, or in Obama's case, a month early:
Washington Jewish Week and Politico tell us that Obama today reached out to about 1,000 Jewish leaders in his expanding campaign for health care reform. One of those on the call, Rabbi Jack Moline, tweeted through the call about what the president said. His Twitter page noted: Obama: "shanah tovah to all of you."
That's a reference to the Jewish new year, or Rosh Hashana, which starts at sundown September 18. It means "Have a sweet new year." An associate said that the president was just being polite with the rabbis, and spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Obama was invited by the rabbis to join in on the call "as they get ready for their important holidays."
But in September 2007, when Bush issued a holiday greeting a week early, he was roundly ridiculed for jumping the gun. The Washington Post said that there was "quizzical reaction" from even Bush's friends.
A former Bushie who remembered the spat said: "Strange. When GWB sent out Rosh Hashana greetings a few days early, he was mocked. Obama is an entire month too early, and no big whoop."
For the record, Bush's was an official statement, while Obama's appears to have been a verbal nicety.
Over at The Corner, Tevi Troy, a Jewish liaison for President Bush, notes another thing the Bush-loathing media would have never ignored if it occurred in his time: "the hold music on the line, through no apparent fault of the White House or the Religious Action Center [of Reform Judaism], which sponsored the call, was 'Deutschland Über Alles.' A number of rabbis apparently expressed discomfort with this choice of music as well."
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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To Sum it All Up:
August 23, 2009 - 06:45 ET by FeynmanFanAnything Obama does - Okay, maybe even extraordinary
Anything Bush did - Wrong
Just a little tepid there,
August 23, 2009 - 07:05 ET by ThisnThatJust a little tepid there, I think. When Obama does anything -- anything at all, there is mass worshipping by the media, accompanied by drooling talking heads, awe and wonderment by pundits, and whitewashing of any "minor" blemishes.
Finally, a picture is taken -- of an upturned head, and usually at an angle that allows a background image to be depicted as a halo. And then the whole event is documented as extraordinary.
After all, this is the only man who had a presidential seal drawn up as "The Office of the President-elect". Which, also, must have been a wonderful thing. But the only reason he did this was to try to replace President Bush imediately after election, rather than waiting for the innaguration. That's also why he started up his weekly radio addresses at the same time, to try to trump President Bush.
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"Tax the rich" is a basically unstable way of governing - The NYT
Sorry, ThisnThat
August 23, 2009 - 07:08 ET by FeynmanFanIt was a tepid comment. But it was early and I am a slow starter...
Nice job on yours, though.
Obama is a Genuis
August 23, 2009 - 07:10 ET by allanfDon't you understand that Obama may be the greatest genuis to have ever walked the face of the earth?
He is so brilliant that he can
The genuis behind all this - the catch phrase "Yes we can", which will now be known as Newtons Fourth Law of Physics.
What an imbecile Palin is. She thinks these tasks are hard, expensive and wasteful.
Newton's Fourth Law of
August 23, 2009 - 08:01 ET by motherbeltNewton's Fourth Law of Physics..Yes, we can! -allanf
LOL I love it!
Wait, wait...
August 23, 2009 - 11:38 ET by StarAZDon't forget lower the tides...
Hey, wait a second. If he can lower the tides, how come he had to go late to Martha's Vineyard because of big ocean? What a liar!
And save the
August 23, 2009 - 11:40 ET by MightyMouthAnd save the ecomany!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Well allanf
August 23, 2009 - 12:46 ET by well99If we could harness all the hot air coming from The Chosen One we would be have all the energy we need.
Just Say Yes We Can
August 23, 2009 - 15:37 ET by allanfOr is you are Dorothy of Kansas, use your magic slippers
→ Better yet
August 23, 2009 - 15:38 ET by Cool ArrowCan we harness the hydroelectric power of President Wee-Wee?
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
CA
August 23, 2009 - 18:18 ET by well99You aint kidding.Just curious if The Chosen One was trying to get all the Rabbi's to push Obamacare.Why isnt the left raiseing hell about separation of church and state?If President Bush even looked at a bible the left was in a uproar over it.
→ I was expecting it
August 23, 2009 - 18:25 ET by Cool ArrowAfter Obama's teleconference with 2000 pastors trying to convince them to shed a favorable light on his healthcare plan, I expected to hear about preachers all over the USA thanking God that Obama has lifted the threat of IRS sanctions on churches for political speech.
My preacher didn't even mention it. It would have been a great opportunity.
LYDSEXICS UNTIE!
CA
August 24, 2009 - 00:30 ET by well99Amazing how that works.I guess if you preach for the left it is A Ok.During the Clinton years same thing.
Obama will be made right
August 23, 2009 - 09:35 ET by ArcherBExpect them to now officially change the date of Jewish New Year to match Obama's date.
"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary."
--Ernesto "Che" Guevara
LOL
August 23, 2009 - 11:35 ET by StarAZYes, I believe it was Einstein who said, "If the theory doesn't fit the facts, change the facts." As we all know, Obama is even SMARTER than Einstein.
Hussein Is Not Only SMART . . .
August 24, 2009 - 00:21 ET by DoktorFranken. . . he's Homer Simpson SMRT.
Qur'an
August 23, 2009 - 12:10 ET by ThisnThatActually, I wonder if Obama is going to offer prayer and reading of the Qur'an during Ramadan? I'll bet he does, even if it is to a private group. But his ego is so large, he might do it in open defiance of America, just to prove we're not a Christian natiion. And to demonstrate, once again, the enormous contributions Muslims have made to today's civilized society. Yeah, right.
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"Tax the rich" is a basically unstable way of governing - The NYT
No "Apparent" Fault
August 23, 2009 - 12:08 ET by Anneke9"the hold music on the line, through no apparent fault of the White
House or the Religious Action Center [of Reform Judaism], which
sponsored the call, was 'Deutschland Über Alles.'"
No "apparent" fault... yeah, right. If you believe that, I have an orange bridge over the San Francisco Bay that I'd like to sell you.
This is especially unnerving after The One's reverent Ramadan greetings (http://www.youtube.c...). I didn't hear the "Theme from Exodus" playing in the background on that clip.
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Camouflage conservative in Baghdad-by-the-Bay
"the hold music on the
August 23, 2009 - 08:07 ET by motherbelt"the hold music on the line, through no apparent fault of the White
House or the Religious Action Center [of Reform Judaism], which
sponsored the call, was 'Deutschland Über Alles.'
Had it been Bush, the phrase through no apparent fault of the White
House would have been absent, for starters. It would not have been mentioned as a highlight, it would have been the lead story.
Bush WH plays German anthem to waiting Rabbis
Ja Vol, we can!!
August 23, 2009 - 08:16 ET by ArchConservativeI think those LaRouche supporters might be onto something with that whole "Obama is Hitler" thing. What's next, putting those rabbis on a train to DC? Oh, Robert Gibbs, you guys are marvelous!
You support the troops by supporting the mission! If you don't support the mission, have the guts to say you don't support the troops.
Obama: Not my President. Ever.
Let me see. The Dear Leader
August 23, 2009 - 08:56 ET by QueenMumLet me see. The Dear Leader chooses not to publicly participate in the National Day of Prayer. "Separation of church and state" yada, yada, yada. YET when it's politically expedient, he's all about acknowledging a Jewish holy season. Just another example of his inherent duplicity and lack of any true religious conviction or devotion to the Almighty. He has placed himself above the Almighty. And God will eventually "get" him for that.
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people's money."
—Margaret Thatcher
Oy Vey, Obama's discover his Jewish roots
August 23, 2009 - 09:39 ET by Jack BauerOy Vey
What a...
You choose the yiddish pejorative you feel most comfortable using in public.
One Mashuga Goy
August 24, 2009 - 00:28 ET by DoktorFrankenMayn prom (shveb-shif) iz ful mit veners.
Just like the Orbitz one.
Hussein = It's all good.
Bush = It's all his fault.
Languages--maybe not
August 23, 2009 - 11:33 ET by StarAZHe told us to all learn a language, but he isn't gifted there...Didn't Hillary also call the RESET button a banana or something in Russian. Stick to um, uh...English.
Re Language
August 23, 2009 - 11:51 ET by slickwillie2001I don't see how he got through Occidental, Columbia and Harvard without a second language, unless perhaps under the disguise of a 'foreign student' he used English as his second language. On the other hand maybe he knows a second language that he doesn't want us to know about, like koranic arabic. Just another reason why the transcripts are buried deep.
Forgive Obama
August 23, 2009 - 13:28 ET by OxyConIt's August and he's all wee weed up.
Deutschland Uber Alles!!
August 24, 2009 - 00:32 ET by Nortohold music for the rabbis!!!
Heads must roll!
free tickets for the rabbis to see "Inglourious Basterds"
August 24, 2009 - 16:22 ET by SickofLibsA few hundred free tickets for the rabbis to see "Inglourious Basterds" will smooth that over fast.
And now for something completely different....
August 24, 2009 - 16:11 ET by retroconWashington Jewish Week and Politico tell us that Obama today reached out to about 1,000 Jewish leaders in his expanding campaign for health care reform. One of those on the call, Rabbi Jack Moline, tweeted through the call about what the president said. His Twitter page noted: Obama: "Allah Akbar to all of you." Initially, the Jewish leaders were taken aback by the greeting; however, by the end of the meeting, all but one had converted to Islam, denounced their families and country, and hailed Barrack Hussien as the second coming of Mohammed. sheesh.