by Mark Silva
It's summer, and the quacking of cellphones is in the air.
President Barack Obama was getting into a serious discussion about his administration's commitment to equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans when someone's cell phone went off in the East Room of the White House.
"We know that progress depends not only on changing laws but also changing hearts,'' Obama was saying, "and that real, transformative change never begins in Washington....
Quack, quack, quack, went the phone.
"Whose duck is back there?'' the president asked.
"It's a duck,'' First Lady Michelle Obama said.
"There's a duck quacking in there somewhere,'' said the president, with laughter rippling through a crowd of a few hundred.
"Where do you guys get these ring tones, by the way? '' the president asked. "I'm just curious.''
The phone silenced, the president continued: "Indeed, that's the story of the movement for fairness and equality -- not just for those who are gay, but for all those in our history who've been denied the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; who've been told that the full blessings and opportunities of this country were closed to them.''
Comments
What's all the commotion about, its only the Aflac duck.
Posted by: Paul | June 30, 2009 9:31 AM
Hmmmmm.
Sly boots there.
Was someone saying someone is a quack?
Anyway, for a bonus 10 points, compare & contrast Sarcozy's speech today.
Most of it just puffy generalities about "values".
The only concrete thing that stands out in it is he does not like Moslem women in scarfs.
What a loser!
"Affirmative secularity" blah blah.
If gays don't like Obama's long range strategy, how would they like living in La Belle France with a President trying to claim moslem women shouldn't "oppress themselves" by wearing traditional dress.
The great expert on civilization pronounces the burkah a blight on French culture.
What does he think of nuns' habits?
Posted by: ornery | June 30, 2009 11:07 AM
I see it coming, the "Ring-tone Czar" will be appointed soon.
Posted by: vla | June 30, 2009 11:21 AM
vla - are you trying to say the President of the United States doesn't warrant the respect of everyone turning off their cell phone? Sure, do it in movie theaters but not when the President is speaking? Riiiight.
Posted by: CommentsToday | June 30, 2009 5:54 PM
The duck was saying "If it walks like a liberal, talks like a liberal, its a flatliner"
Posted by: Terry | June 30, 2009 7:48 PM