by James Oliphant
For the mini-furor touched off by Barack Obama's remarks in Philadelphia Friday about bringing a gun to a knife fight, it's sort of amazing how few have passed upon what was so obviously his source material.
That would be the 1987 classic The Untouchables, which is, of course, set in Chicago at the time of Al Capone. And like any son of the city, Obama must have seen the movie several times to quote Sean Connery's character, Irish cop Jimmy Malone, so on-target.
"If they bring a knife to the fight," Obama told a crowd in Philadelphia Friday night, "we bring a gun."
Now, here is the full exchange between Connery and Kevin Costner, who played Eliot Ness:
Malone: You said you wanted to get Capone. Do you really wanna get him? You see what I'm saying is, what are you prepared to do?
Ness: Anything within the law.
Malone: And then what are you prepared to do? If you open the can on these worms you must be prepared to go all the way. Because they're not gonna give up the fight, until one of you is dead.
Ness: I want to get Capone! I don't know how to do it.
Malone: You wanna know how to get Capone? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way! And that's how you get Capone. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that? I'm offering you a deal. Do you want this deal?
Ness: I have sworn to capture this man with all legal powers at my disposal and I will do so.
Malone: Well, the Lord hates a coward.
Malone: Do you know what a blood oath is, Mr. Ness?
Ness: Yes.
Malone: Good, 'cause you just took one.
(Thanks to imdb.com.)
So what is Obama prepared to do? Or maybe you have to say it like Connery did after he was shot about 266 times by Frank Nitti and his men. "WHAT. . .ARE. . (GLURG). . YOU. . PRE-PARED. .. TO. . .DO!!!"
Just stay away from John McCain if he ever picks up a baseball bat.
• 
• 
• 
Comments
We all know about Obama and the Chicago way. Just Tony Rezko.
The Chicago Way is granting favors in return for monetary "contributions"... it's crafting legislation to suit your corporate masters... It's employing Lobbyists and corporate senior executives as political advisors
And Obama is a master of The Chicago way.
Posted by: MJ | June 15, 2008 6:11 PM
"The mini-furor touched off by Barack Obama's remarks in Philadelphia Friday about bringing a gun to a knife fight." That old tuff guy McSAME just couldn't help making a big deal out of a movie quote. What a freak. Four more years of failed Bush policy. That's what McBUSH offers America. Someone get this man an AARP card and a beer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6fmyH_Yh2c&feature=user
Posted by: DIRTY DICK CHENEY | June 15, 2008 8:56 PM
or since he was in Philly, he could just have the former Mayor Rendall just bring his old Teamster buddies to silence the opposition.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/7114
Posted by: Terry | June 15, 2008 9:15 PM
In Philly, they use fire bombs.
Thanks to Swamp for explaining the context of Obama bringing a gun to a knife fight.
It makes me feel much better
Posted by: ElliotNC | June 16, 2008 12:01 AM
The setting of a Roman Catholic Church also created a great atmosphere for that scene. Malone didn't want to talk about in the police station because, as he said, "these walls have ears".
Fortunately, after Obama is sworn in president, we will have a president who actually, like Ness, acts within the law. Unlike the lawless "coward" that has dictated to the country and destroyed the constitution for the last 8 years.
Posted by: syj | June 16, 2008 7:54 AM
I wonder if Mr. Chicago Way is sweating in his suit right now hoping that Tony Rezko doesn't flip on him for a shortened sentence?
Posted by: Jeff | June 16, 2008 12:44 PM
McSame and the republicans are planning on bringing knives, brass knuckles, swords, daggers, and everything else to this election. So Obama need to bring on the heavy artillery, like an M-1 tank, a F-16 fighter jet with hell-fire missiles, and bring home all the 150,000 troops in Iraq to fight off the republicans attack machine. So bring it on repubs!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: h. taylor | June 16, 2008 1:22 PM
Syj,
Didn't Ness walk one the bad gusy off the roof of the courthouse? Is that what you would call "acting within the law"
Posted by: Terry | June 16, 2008 3:28 PM