Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. being endorsed by New York City's Correction Officers' Benevolent Association Sept. 24, 2007. AP Photo/Dima Gavrysh
by Glenn Thrush
Barack Obama thinks the New York tabloids (Post, News, Newsday) have been making way too much of "Evil Weasel" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's sojourn to NYC.
Presumably, he has not heard the old don't-pick-fights-with-folks-who-buy-ink-by-the-barrel maxim. But he'll get the idea fast tomorrow morning when a staffer hands him the tabs, which will probably feature something subtle, like, say, a retouched photo of his face superimposed on Ayatollah Khomeini's body.
"We probably make a mistake when we give him as much attention as the New York press gave him over the last couple of days," Obama told WNYC's Brian Lehrer (via Jason Horowitz at the Observer), adding that A's "rantings" aren't ink-worthy.
"The way to approach petty tyrants is not to inflate them," Obama said.
The way to approach the tabs (we're told) is not to incite them.
Comments
Sayeth our Senator, "the way to approach petty tyrants is not to inflate them".
Yet our Senator has already pledged, if elected president, to talk directly to said "petty tyrant", which is about the best way in the world to give that tyrant credibility.
Must be more of that lofty brilliance that Obama media supporters claim goes over the head of us average voters.
Posted by: Bruce | September 25, 2007 3:20 PM
Well stated, Bruce.
Posted by: Biggdawg | September 25, 2007 3:57 PM
Well stated, Bruce.
Posted by: Biggdawg | September 25, 2007 4:25 PM
Obama is right...it is a mistake for all the cable news network to give this guy the type of attention that they did. There is nothing wrong with Obama stating the obvious...
Posted by: Stan | September 25, 2007 5:43 PM
It is the same press that critic Obama for saying that he will meet with him is now running around trying to score a rating with interviewing Him...go figure the double standard.
Posted by: Emmy | September 25, 2007 5:44 PM
Bruce and Bigdawg,
Well ho-hum... Obama contradicts himself... again.
-- Just like when he made a career out of sucking up to special interests, lobbyists and PACs... and now pays lip service to campaign reform (just keep that money comming in bundles, folks!)
-- Just like when he said that a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would be a disaster -- in both humanitarian and US nat'l security terms -- and is now calling for a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq.
-- Just like when he spoke against starting the war iraq 6 years ago and just recently talked about starting a war in the IndoPak peninsula.
Why are you surprised?
Posted by: Anonymous | September 25, 2007 7:50 PM
suppose the people dissing obama on here think that the US delegation walking out of the UN looked pretty smart, and not like a bunch of bitchy 6th grade girls...
Posted by: peter nevins | September 26, 2007 1:54 PM
Where is the contradiction ? Story after story, after story is definately giving Ahamadinajad the attention that he craves. A nice private meeting with a US President that is willing to sit down one on one and read the riot act to a wannabe would be the most effective way to communicate. Maybe you folks should look up the meaning of contradiction ?
Posted by: Anonymous | September 26, 2007 2:00 PM
You guys play some pretty good word games here. You must be good at scrabble. He didnt call for a "precipitous withdrawl" he called for a carefully planned, well coordinated withdrawl. He didn`t advocate starting a war in Pakistan. he advocated a strike on a high valued target if the host country wouldn`t do it.You guys have nothing of substance so you resort to twisting words.
Posted by: eSPO | September 26, 2007 2:07 PM