Obama Camp: No Apology for Biden Comments

[maddezmom]

Source: National Journal

¬snip¬

In an editorial on Friday, The Globe wrote, “Imagine if Republican Paul Ryan uttered comments like that. Mitt Romney’s pick for vice president would be pilloried for racial insensitivity — and so would Romney. In the fight for civility and substance over pointless hyperbole, Biden may not be the worst offender. But he’s an offender nonetheless, and he should apologize.”

Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, Stephanie Cutter, an Obama deputy campaign manager, said that no apology was necessary and that Biden’s choice of words were “a distraction from the larger argument” about deregulation. She said the Romney campaign has also said things about the president that are offensive, including questioning his patriotism.

“We are not going to be lectured by Mitt Romney,” she said. “That’s completely hypocritical.”

Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com/sunday-shows/obama-camp-no-apology-for-biden-comments-20120819

[qb]

1. That's what I like to hear! Knee-jerk apologies have not served Dems well.

[indie_voter]

2. Finally! I am so glad she brought up what they've said against the President

Offensive is an understatement.

Biden didn't say anything untoward. He was using a common figure of speech. Not to mention he's right. This Romney/Ryan ticket would shackle us all except for the very rich

Hypocritical indeed.

[zbdent]

8. Um ... the Repugs are the ones that brought up shackles ...

also known by their more common term, chains ...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

21. Republicans shouldn't live in glass houses

the old saying: People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

[aquart]

3. I'm becoming quite fond of that young woman.

[maddezmom]

7. here is another zinger

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/stephanie-cutter-giuliani-should-consider-palin-endorsement-before-attacking-biden/

[part man all 86]

4. The republlicans are crying mommie because Biden hit them with a little truth.

They do want to chain us, limit what people can say, or vote, or where to work or have unions or get paid a decent wage. I have no problem calling the cons what they are; My Enemy!

[NYC_SKP]

5. Hell, he should come out and say it again. The truth hurts.

Be they chains of iron, or metaphorical chains, the 99% are increasingly becoming prisoners of debt, of fiscal and medical malpractice, and of the consequences of a government that serves the 1%.

Come on Joe, say it again.

There's nothing wrong with the truth.

K/R

[mopinko]

25. wouldn't it be great

if he got some air time and read ike's 'cross of iron' speech?

[ejbr]

6. You know what? I'll apologize for the Obama campaign

I'm sorry the Rmoney campaign are being such little bitches about it. When does our side ever ask for an apology? WTF?

[lunatica]

9. Good.

Fuck their slim covered 'sensitivity'.

[Botany]

10. Loves me some Stephanie Cute-R

“We are not going to be lectured by Mitt Romney,” she said. “That’s completely hypocritical.”


********************

Biden said nothing wrong and it is the republicans who are taking his words out of context
in order to try to get Obama and company off their game.

BTW this from the party that slimed John Kerry who was awarded 3 purple hearts, a bronze star,
and a silver star in Vietnam all the time not losing 1 man in some of the most hazardous duty in the
war.

[winstars]

15. DITTO!!! She rocks!!! n/t

[Genghis_Sean]

11. Local letter to the editor from my hometown paper...

http://blogs.indystar.com/letters/2012/08/17/media-let-democrats-get-away-with-gaffes/?fb_comment_id=fbc_10151172554526508_26070218_10151173545501508#f260dff5bfab2ec

Media let Democrats get away with gaffes

We saw two examples of media bias this week, both relating to Vice President Joe Biden.

First, if Paul Ryan had made the comment, “They’re going to put y’all back in chains,” the media would be crucifying him with charges of racism.

But when Biden says it? Hardly a peep from the news media, other than to ask Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter about it. She answered that we have no problem with those comments. End of discussion.

Second, if Paul Ryan had been standing in Virginia and said, “With you, we can win North Carolina again and if we do, we win the election, if we win you,” can you imagine the feeding frenzy among the media?

Think Dan Quayle. He had a bulls-eye on him for weeks after not knowing how to spell the plural of potato; Ryan would have been the lead story for making the geographical error that Biden made.

But when Biden makes the error? Barely a word. Are you a Republican who doesn’t know there’s an “e” in potatoes? We’ll blast you for weeks. Are you a Democrat who doesn’t know what state you’re in? Don’t sweat it; we got your back.

Ray Walton
Indianapolis


My reply:

Ah, the art of the false equivalency. I suspect the reason African-Americans weren't overly offended by Biden's latest gaffe is because he's built up some credit with his voting record and actions. When you pursue policies that unduly affect Black and poor communities, and then employ racially charged language, people are going to suspect they're related. Similarly, the left didn't place crosshairs or use violent imagery or charged language to express their disapproval of Chik-fil-A, though they did call them out on their bigotry and hypocrisy. One violent act by a crazy whose actions were immediately roundly denounced does not equal years of the kind of vitriol we see spouted regularly at Tea Party rallies or at Fox and Friends. Finally stop with the liberal bias of the media. When a progressive news organization openly donates a million dollars to help elect Democratic governors, then you can talk. No other major media organization has a reputation for lying, smearing, quoting out of context, and withholding information that disproves their own talking points as Fox News does. The faux outrage and false equivalencies ring very hollow indeed.

~ My reply seems to have ended the discussion except for a few conservatives who are flailing about for a response including one who attempts to pass himself off as an African-American to express umbrage, but he unfortunately referred to himself as "a person of color" so he's not very convincing and sounds suspiciously like a redneck down to the horrific grammar and Fox News talking points.

[obxhead]

12. George Smith II

Here's his FB photo:

[emulatorloo]

14. Excellent reply - thanks for calling them out.

[WinstonSmith4740]

24. I have NO idea how to imbed pictures!

So those of you Mel Brooks fans get "Blazing Saddles" in your head...

"...including one who attempts to pass himself off as an African-American to express umbrage",

"Gentlemen, we've got to protect our phony baloney jobs! Harrumph, harrumph!"

"I didn't get a "harrumph" outta that guy."

If you have no idea as to what I'm talking about, go out and get the DVD now!

[Genghis_Sean]

27. Hello, girls! How ya' doin? I missed you!

Harrumph!

[WinstonSmith4740]

31. Oh, please...

Don't get me started. Shawiff. Or was it Hedley?

Welcome to DU!

[wordpix]

29. excellent response, thanks for the smackdown!

[LiberalFighter]

13. I sure don't feel Biden or Obama needs to apologize.

[geckosfeet]

16. Good.

The potus doe NOT take his cue from a has been also ran half governor.

[nradisic]

17. It's unprecedented! Read him the "no-fighting-back" rules!

http://blogs.ajc.com/mike-luckovich/2012/08/17/819-mike-luckovich-cartoon-election-2012/|

[fob]

18. raygun/bush = trickle down economics, romney/ryan = shackle down economics

So Biden's comment also happens to ring true, that's what really upsets the shacklers.

[kestrel91316]

19. Good. NEVER apologize to fascists or haters or criminals.

[Historic NY]

20. Good..its about time

[Zoeisright]

22. No shit.

Tell you what, repukes - you apologize for calling the President of the United States a Nazi, terrorist, Muslim, Socialist, Communist, Kenyan, baby murderer, and witch doctor - FIRST. You assholes.

[SylviaD]

23. Joe has said NOTHING wrong here. n/t

[Progressive dog]

26. The two R's should spend the rest of their lifes apologizing

[wordpix]

28. good! no more apologies to the lying, thieving R's

[Odd Won Out]

30. Good to see Dems aquire some backbone

There is absolutely no need to apologize, but in past, Dem campaigns seemed to always apologize for what Fox News had framed as some kind of false umbrage. Great to see us stand up for ourselves. Hope this will be a trend, and not some aberration.

Love Stephanie Cutter.

[PD Turk]

32. Good

The RWers spew the most hateful, bile filled garbage every day and see no need to apologize for any of it, it's about time we stop approaching them with our hats in our hands all the time.

[PuffedMica]

33. It is the Republicans who should be doing the apologizing for manufacturing a racial issue

The Republicans are trying to divert attention by screaming "Racism" because they have nothing else to run on.

[HenryWallace]

34. Right Wing Echo Chamber

This is a coordinated effort to change the current narrative!

Eight years ago it would have worked. Today, even the most conservative members of the MSM have seen this before. The ability of Fox News to influence anyone outside their own insulated audience is limited.