I was going to let this go. I was going to write about something else instead, but the more clips I listen to, the more I think about this whole situation, the more disgusted I am. Mark Levin made the point on his talk radio show last night that Barack Obama’s leadership was needed when this incident occurred, and instead Americans got a speech four days after the event. That’s four days too long, especially with death threats against Sarah Palin reaching, as her aide put it, an “unprecedented level” (hat-tip Hot Air’s Allahpundit).
An aide close to Sarah Palin says death threats and security threats have increased to an unprecedented level since the shooting in Arizona, and the former Alaska governor’s team has been talking to security professionals.
Since the shooting in Tucson, Palin has taken much heat for her “crosshairs” map that targeted 20 congressional Democrats in the 2010 mid-term election, including that of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was the main target of Saturday’s attack.
Friends say Palin, a possible 2012 contender, was galled as suggestions of her role in the tragedy have swirled.
Palin responded in detail today to the attacks leveled against her, but while her intentions may have been to shift the blame away from herself, she instead put her in the hot seat again…
The article then goes on to spend another page discussing the use of the term “blood libel.” No surprise though, this is the same network that attacked Palin for defending herself against vicious allegation that she was somehow to blame for the shooting. You would think that, with all this discussion of a word that is, as National Review Online’s Jim Geraghty pointed out, is used often on both sides of the aisle, that Sarah Palin simply put out a video which had her saying “blood libel” for more then seven-and-a-half minutes. She said a lot more then that, and, in my opinion, it sounds far more presidential than anything Barack Obama had put out since taking office. Thanks to Fearless Conservative for positing the video.
That sets the right tone. That is a speech Obama should have given, but instead, he attends a political rally and shows us once again why he shouldn’t be sitting in the Oval Office.
To respond to comments made by Hot Air’s Allahpundit who said the speech was excellent and that it played well among conservative pundits, I believe the reason for this positive response is because it is far better than previous funeral services. Many expected this to be a replay of the memorial service for Paul Wellstone, but, with the bar set so low, they were pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t blatantly politically partisan. Don’t get me wrong though, this was political and it showed.
Michelle Malkin has a great breakdown of the yesterday’s service and I would recommend my modest readership give it a read. The first issue raised is that this service was actually branded, the “Together We Thrive” rally. How many funeral services have you been to where they gave out t-shirts? Who thought this was in anyway appropriate? Never have I approved of funeral services being anything but somber events where people gather to remember those lost. When I was in high school, a classmate of mine was killed in an automobile accident. His was the first funeral I attended, but even then I knew what was and wasn’t appropriate, and it disgusted me that the pastor to use it as an opportunity to sell his book. This service was, in comparison, was no better. This helped set an inappropriate tone right away, showing just how political this event was.
The second issue is the location. Who thought the University of Arizona campus would be an appropriate location? If it is the only place largest enough to hold the event, then it’s okay, but it wasn’t the location of the tragedy, the reason why the the memorial service for the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre was held at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus. As many have stated, including Sean Hannity, the tone of this event was set by the audience, one filled with university students. In the words of Fox News’ Brit Hume, this was a “pep rally.” Thank to The Daily Caller for the video.
Is it what the community of Tucson wanted? Maybe, maybe not. I am pretty sure, however, that loud cheers and shouts of “WE LOVE YOU!” from some audience members when the President took the stage is far from appropriate behaviour for funeral attendees. As well, it was grossly inappropriate that some audience members to booed Arizona Governor Jan Brewer when she took the stage. That is downright disgraceful conduct.
The third issue is Obama’s speech. Returning to Mark Levin’s comments, why did it take four days for him to make such a statement? It is fairly politically neutral and doesn’t take direct aim at those on the left who have been blaming the right’s “heated rhetoric” for this tragedy. In fact, it is so whitewashed that The New York Time’s believes he was referring to Palin’s response to their smears against her (hat-tip Hot Air’s Allahpundit). Is this the best he and his writing staff could come up with? Giving speeches and leadership aren’t the same, and if this is all he can say after four days of vicious attacks on conservatives, Palin in particular, then why couldn’t he have asked for time on television and/or radio and make these statements. This wait-and-see approach, as we saw with the election protests in Iran, demonstrates his weakness.
In conclusion, I would like to point to a letter sent to Michelle Malkin by one of her readers, Joshua Jones, who compared President George W. Bush’s speech at the Virginia Tech memorial service to the Obama’s at last night’s event.
Mrs. Malkin,
My background:
I was in the audience in Cassel Coliseum on April 17, 2007. I heard President Bush speak after a crazy b@st@rd (Seung-Hui Cho) shot up my college.
In a few days I would bury a man whom I had last seen when he came up to me the week earlier to congratulate me on my baptism and entry into the Catholic Church over Easter Weekend. It would be my first military funeral, but not my last.
His name was Matthew Joseph La Porte.
I was a sophomore member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC). Several of my friends and the woman I love most dearly were supposed to be in Norris Hall. Thankfully none of them were due to being late, ill, or simply choosing to skip classes. I was sequestered in the Pamplin College of Business building during the attack.
President Bush spoke for barely 10 minutes if that. He was solemn, dignified and respectful-although the microphone that broadcast into the rest of the coliseum was barely working and we could barely hear and understand him as a result-we got the point he made.
President Obama’s disgusting attempt at what appears to be a political rally in the wake of a similar massacre is beyond reprehensible.
Joshua also sent a video of Bush’s speech and how the audience behaved during it. Suffice to say, they were far more dignified than those at the University of Arizona.
That was a memorial service, that couldn’t be mistaken for a campaign rally. Last night’s event was inappropriate, but considering the behaviour this week, it’s no surprise. Pathetic…
UPDATE: Audio of ‘The Bob & Mark Show’ from Alaska’s KWHL 106.5. Bob and Mark are discussing yesterday’s memorial service. Thank to uffdamega52 for the clip.
I completely agree. There is a vastly different standard by which Barack Obama and Sarah Palin are judged. All I have heard today, even in the Canadian media, was how great the event and Obama’s speech was.
Sarah Palin is blasted for defending herself and using the term “blood libel,” while Barack Obama is praised for turning last night’s memorial service into a campaign rally. Am I missing something here?
UPDATE: More audio from uffdamega52. John Ziegler being interviewed on ‘The Bob & Mark Show’ about his latest column, “A Tale of Two Speeches: Sarah Palin and Barack Obama on the Tragedy in Tucson.”
Suffice to say, it is pretty clear that there are different standards. This is why I disagree completely with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s comments today (hat-tip Hot Air’s Allahpundit). No matter what Barack Obama does, he will be praised. On the other hand, Sarah Palin’s could have given an unscripted speech and she would have been criticized for not thinking through he response to the allegations that she was somehow to blame for this tragedy. The President was speaking to an adoring crowd while the former Alaskan Governor was trying address her critics, both in the media and public, many of whom are not only blaming her for the Jared Lee Loughner’s actions, but want to see her punished for her supposed involvement.
What could have Sarah Palin done to appease these people? Nothing. I don’t see how she how she could have acted any differently during this fiasco. As John Ziegler states in his post, she is guilty no matter what she does.
UPDATE: Mark Levin made the point on his show tonight that Barack Obama should have called for an end to the attacks on Sarah Palin and other conservatives. My question here is why didn’t he? Does he enjoy watching his base viciously assault his critics? I really don’t know, but I will say that I am still waiting for Obama to actually be presidential. Until then, he just sounds like any other politician on the campaign trial, just like he always does.
UPDATE: Hot Air’s Allahpundit has a new post up concerning the media’s comparison between Barack Obama’s speech and Sarah Palin’s. While I made a comparison between the tone of both myself, I at least could understand the differences between each speech. Most of those in the media, however, either couldn’t or simply didn’t want to.
Much like John Ziegler’s column, Allahpundit discusses the different standard by which the two are judged, pointing out how reporters missed the point of Palin’s speech. The former Alaskan Governor was, unlike the President, defending herself from vicious allegations that somehow she was responsible for Jared Lee Loughner’s actions. I’m sure that if I was accused of being involved in the shooting in Tucson, my response would also sound aggrieved. This is much like the attack on Palin for injecting herself into a story about how she is somehow to blame for the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. Once again, how can she inject herself into a story that it centered around her?
Not only is the post quite funny, but it is very well documented. I recommend my modest readership give it a look.
